Germany looks to farm fumes in breakup with Russian gas

Germany looks to farm fumes in breakup with Russian gas

FRANKFURT: As Germany scrambles to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, the pungent fumes from the manure and other organic waste in Peter Kaim’s farm could be part of the solution. An hour’s drive west of Berlin, a strong smell emanates from three large cylinders in the middle of a muddy field on Kaim’s property shared with 100 dairy cows. Every day, tons of organic waste-mainly manure, corn and grass-are poured into these receptacles.

In a process called “methanisation” fuelled by bacteria, the organic matter is transformed into gas. This mini power plant supplies heating to about 20 homes in the village of Ribbeck, known for a pear tree whose praises the beloved 19th century writer Theodor Fontane once sang in a classic poem. Everything “comes 100 percent from our farm”, Kaim told AFP. The farmer prides himself on “independent” energy production against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, and calls on the state to “adopt simpler authorization procedures” to help biogas become a bigger part of the mix in Germany.

Like this operator, the entire biogas sector sees its chance in the current crisis as Berlin looks to quickly curb its dependence on Moscow for energy. Before the Ukraine war, Germany imported 55