Vote soon

Farmers’ association increases pressure over “biogas decision”

Austrian Farmers' Association Chairman Georg Strasser (ÖVP)

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

This week, parliament will vote on the Renewable Gas Act. Farmers' Association President Strasser is appealing to all parliamentary groups to vote in favor in order to reduce dependence on Russia. However, the SPÖ and FPÖ were still opposed, at least until recently.

Austria's energy supply is being put to the test. The main reason for this is the geopolitical situation: the transit contract between the Ukrainian energy supplier Naftogaz and the Russian Gazprom for Russian natural gas, which currently accounts for 80 to 90 percent of gas consumption in Austria, will expire at the end of 2024. The Ukrainians have already announced several times that they do not intend to renew the deal.

Although, according to an analysis by E-Control, liquefied natural gas (LNG), which can be imported via Germany or Italy, is available to compensate for this, this could have a significant impact on prices for consumers.

Biogas as a solution
According to local experts, part of the solution could be sustainable red-white-red biogas. There are already around 270 biogas plants in Austria. By refining it into biomethane, it can be fed directly into the natural gas grid with hardly any energy losses. This benefits industry in particular, which urgently needs this gas. Crop residues, farm manure, catch crops and other unused organic waste or sewage sludge are used as raw materials.

The digestate - i.e. the liquid or solid residue from production - in turn serves as a valuable fertilizer for grassland or arable land. In total, the Renewable Gas Act is expected to save 4.2 million tons of climate-damaging CO₂ by 2030.

In the Council of Ministers on February 21, the federal government made a clear commitment to boosting biogas production in Austria and promoting the independence of our energy supply. The basis for this is the Renewable Energy Gas Act (EGG), which is set to represent a milestone in the expansion of sustainable energy production in Austria and will be voted on in parliament this week.

Domestic agriculture and forestry can fully develop their potential in the production of sustainable biogas. Farmers will become key players in the production of climate-neutral gas from waste materials!

Georg Strasser, Bauernbund-Obmann 

From 2030, 7.5 terawatt hours (TWh) of renewable biogas are to be fed into the Austrian gas grid every year. The expansion target in the government program of 5.5 TWh has been significantly exceeded once again. "This should cover 10 percent of Austria's gas requirements. On the one hand, we are creating independence - also from international price fluctuations - and on the other, we are boosting regional value creation," explains Bauernbund President Georg Strasser.

The EGG was already discussed in the National Council's Economic Committee on June 26. In addition to the coalition partners ÖVP and the Greens, the NEOS also expressed their support for the government bill. However, due to the votes against from the SPÖ and FPÖ, the necessary two-thirds majority for this law was not achieved.

In the run-up to this week's plenary session, Strasser is therefore appealing to the members of the National Council to vote in favor of this important law and provide the necessary majority: "One thing is clear: anyone who turns off biogas is turning on Putin's gas. This law is an enormously important step towards energy independence, security of supply and ultimately affordable gas prices - because nobody knows how prices on the world market will develop if Russia turns off the gas tap. The SPÖ and FPÖ should also be aware of this."