Bioenergy Industry

• Consumption of bioenergy in Germany 2007: 128 TWh
• Industry turnover 2007: EUR 10 billion
• Investment in bioenergy plants 2007: EUR 2.4 billion
• Exported bioenergy in 2007 as share of total production: 10%
• 96,000 employees in 2007
• Consumption of fossil diesel fuel in 2007: 28 million tonnes
• Consumption of fossil gasoline in 2007: 22 million tonnes

MARKET - From 2004 to 2007 the consumption of biofuels has enjoyed annual growth of 64 percent. Consumption of power and heat from bioenergy plants has likewise recorded double-digit annual growth rates: 35 percent for power consumption and 15 percent for heat consumption. Today, Germany is the largest consumer of bioenergy in Europe with a share of over 16 percent in total bioenergy consumption of all EU-27 countries in 2007. Seven percent of fuel consumption, six percent of heat and four percent of power consumption were covered by bioenergy. For the future, the industry aims to achieve a number of concrete goals: 18 percent of power and 15 percent of heat consumption shall be covered by bioenergy in 2030. In addition, biofuels - and particularly second generation biofuels - are becoming more and more important.

PERSONNEL - Thanks to its internationally renowned universities and outstanding R&D institutes covering an extensive range of bioenergy topics, Germany offers a large pool of highly qualified workers.
 
R&D - German research institutes are working closely with industry partners to develop new technologies and bring them to market quickly. Research focuses on gasification technologies, the production of biofuels by means of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and enzymatic conversion methods as well as energy crop sciences and technological, economical, and environmental studies.

INCENTIVES - Germany offers numerous incentives for all investors - regardless of whether they are from Germany or otherwise. There is a large selection of programs designed to support a wide variety of business activities at different stages of the investment process available. Support ranges from cash incentives for the reimbursement of direct investment costs to incentives for labor and research and development (R&D).

LEGAL AND POLITICAL FRAMEWORK - The biofuels strategy of the German Federal Government specifies a compulsory blending of traditional fossil fuels (diesel and gasoline) with a minimum share of biofuels and claims a radical reduction of greenhouse gases produced by fuels used for transportation. E85 and second generation biofuels are exempt from taxes until 2015. For pure biofuels, there also exists the further option of tax breaks. The Renewable Energy Sources Act regulates attractive feed-in tariffs for power from biomass by law. As to heat generation, the German Federal Government has established the obligatory use of renewable energies for the heating of newly constructed buildings with its Renewable Energies Heat Law.

PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE - Germany disposes of the highest potential of accessible biomass resources in Europe for its extensive and comprehensive logistics infrastructure. Our state-of-the-art infrastructure provides access to an extensive network of chemical parks, refineries, and sites offering access by ship, rail and road. Benefit from close relations to partners along the entire value chain: from access to feedstock and transport to distribution.

STABLE INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT - Social, economic, and political stability provide a solid base for your corporate projects. Our judiciary and civil services are highly professional. Contractual agreements are secure, and intellectual property is strictly protected in Germany.