Royal Avebe Extends Cooperation for Bio Natural Gas Production in Germany
In 2024, Royal Avebe intends to keep buying two million kilowatt hours of fossil-free biomethane from its Lüchow, Germany facility. In exchange, the cooperative will provide potato pulp to a biogas plant in Lüchow so that it can produce biomethane.
Avebe and the regional bio-natural gas company Biogeen inked a matching contract. The initial collaboration between the two industrial enterprises took place last year.
The partnership enables Avebe to purchase fossil-free biogas via certificates in return for the pulp obtained from starch potatoes grown by Avebe farmers.
“By sourcing energy from fossil-free biogas, we are significantly reducing our carbon footprint. This is part of Avebe’s sustainability strategy,” says Peter Minow, Avebe Managing Director in Germany.
The company considers it part of its social responsibility to provide the equivalent amount of biomass required for the production of fossil-free biogas.
“Avebe is only allowed to pass on the pulp from potatoes supplied by SURE-certified farms to our cooperation partner for the production of biogas. We are delighted that we are now supplied by 35 suppliers around Lüchow who have the required certification,” said Torsten Belling, who is responsible for quality, environment, safety, and health (QESH) at Avebe in Germany.
Among other things, SURE certification requires farmers to fulfill strict sustainability criteria for the land used to produce biomass for biogas, such as potatoes or cereals. For example, the land must not have been created by deforestation or the draining of moorland.
Potato pulp is a by-product of the production of starch flour from potatoes. It is very rich in energy, but low in protein, vitamins, and minerals and is primarily used as animal feed for dairy cows and beef cattle.
