The energy market The production of biogas via manure fermentation opens up various options. One is to generate electricity by burning biogas in a gas engine with utilization of the residual heat wherever possible. Since recently, upgrading biogas to natural gas quality so that it can be fed into the gas network is also possible. These options are location-dependent. Another option is to add green gas to the fuel-mix for gas-fuelled cars, buses and commercial vehicles. This is already being widely practised abroad in the public sector, but the market in the Netherlands is still too small, partly due to the absence of suitable storage and distribution infrastructure. Biogas can also be used directly for heating (non-residential) buildings or greenhouses. In the latter case, the CO2 released during combustion can also be harnessed to stimulate plant growth. By using a micro-CHP (Combined Heat and Power) installation, electricity can be generated in addition to heating. The co-burning of dried manure in existing power stations is only possible if the reliability of supply, quality (amount of dry substance, composition, presence of heavy metals and other pollutants, humidity), scale, volume and costs can be guaranteed. It also demands extra flue gas cleansing, which may confront power station operators with additional investments and costs. Wherever the existing infrastructure is used for energy generation (power stations) and/or distribution (gas network, electricity grid or petrol stations), the supplied products must obviously be suitable for transportation and distribution via this infrastructure. In addition, the energy companies and transportation networks set high demands on raw materials in terms of security and reliability of supply. Biomass from the Netherlands must compete on these aspects with biomass from abroad. A wide discrepancy remains between policy objectives and actual energy production. So there is still substantial growth potential for the sale of renewable energy, such as biogas from manure. Subsidies play a key role in these markets. The subsidy schemes (SDE and formerly MEP) are mainly aimed at reducing costs. No incentives are provided for encouraging more efficient production, as efficiency gains are cancelled out by lower subsidies. The EU is currently developing proposals to strongly reduce CO2 emission rights in the period 2013-2020, thus effectively creating scarcity in the market. Energy companies must then buy additional rights in the market. The consequences of this policy for harnessing the potential of biomass are not yet clear. The fertilizer market Apart from manure, the agriculture sector also makes use of artificial fertilizer, which contains minerals such as phosphate, nitrogen and potassium. The technologies for producing fermented manure that is almost just as effective as artificial fertilizer are constantly improving. Re-use of minerals is desirable in view of the scarcity of phosphate and for environmental reasons. However, the use of artificial fertilizer substitutes is still limited and highly regulated, while established industry is also keen to protect its substantial interests and investments in the production of artificial fertilizer. Minerals from manure can be used by the artificial fertilizer industry, though this may require adaptations to the production process, thereby leading to higher costs. Purity of the raw material, safety aspects (risk of spontaneous nitrate explosion), copper and zinc content, security of supply, environmental regulations and cost structure are critical factors. In addition, the supply, quality and scale of material flows must be sufficiently reliable to satisfy industrial parties. Apart from artificial fertilizer, phosphate can also be used to manufacture industrial products such as fire retardants and detergents. The price of phosphate has been very volatile over the past years. After rising sharply in 2007-2009, the price of the raw material in rock has returned almost to its pre-2007 level. Artificial fertilizer substitutes are mineral concentrates, which are extracted from animal manure and have the same effect as artificial fertilizer. 81 Pagina 87
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