There are different opinions in the Association of Gas and Heat Supply Companies (FGW), as Chairman Peter Weinelt indicates: “We have a very clear position in Vienna: We are completely phasing out gas in the space heating sector.” As a trade association, you are fundamentally committed to using gas “where it cannot be substituted”. This applies, for example, to high-temperature applications in industry. There you will not be able to avoid biogas and green hydrogen.
The representatives of the gas industry had economist Christian Helmenstein investigate that Austria’s expansion plans for biomethane gas were not ambitious enough. The goal of the Renewable Energy Expansion Act of five terawatt hours (TWh) by 2030 can and should be more than doubled. The industry estimates the potential at 20 TWh biogas by 2040, which could be obtained from agricultural residues such as maize straw, manure or vegetable residues. With wood it could even be 40 TWh per year.
Complete replacement not possible
However, a complete replacement of fossil gas with green gas will not succeed, even with an ambitious expansion, since gas consumption in Austria is still much too high at 90 TWh per year.
Due to the high price of natural gas of around 100 euros per megawatt hour (MWh), biogas plants with production costs of between 32 and 56 euros per MWh are already competitive. In order to ensure investment security, the industry still wants a model with market premiums.
Source: Nachrichten
