The goal of making Germany climate-neutral by 2045 also poses major challenges for small and medium-sized companies. Important decisions need to be made now in order to decarbonize energy-intensive production processes.
Two thirds of the energy required in the German industrial sector, or one fifth of total final energy consumption in Germany, is accounted for by the provision of process heat. It is required for the manufacture, further processing or refinement of products. The share of renewable energies has been stagnating at a constantly low level for years (currently 6% of final energy). Biomass, e.g. in the form of industrial pellets, wood chips and biogas, is capable of replacing fossil fuels, especially in small and medium-sized companies. Changes in the legal situation, new funding opportunities and successful practical examples show that generating process heat from bioenergy is now a realistic and economical option in many cases.
