Parliament
Voigt sees great potential for biogas plants in Thuringia
Mario Voigt, chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in Thuringia, speaks at the state party conference of the CDU Thuringia. photo
© Hendrik Schmidt/dpa/archive image
Since the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Germany has been trying to replace the Russian gas that has been lost. The Thuringian CDU parliamentary group wants to focus more on biogas in the energy crisis.
Thuringia’s CDU parliamentary group leader Mario Voigt has spoken out in favor of significantly more biogas plants in Thuringia. “Biogas must become a mainstay of the energy transition,” said Voigt of the German Press Agency in Erfurt. It is a mistake to only rely on sun and wind for energy production. “We are committed to ensuring that the number and performance of biogas plants is significantly expanded in the coming years without using more maize, more cattle or a huge number of wheat transports.” In his opinion, biogas production offers great potential.
The outgoing Thuringian Environment Minister Anja Siegesmund (Greens) had called for follow-up funding for more efficient biogas plants from the federal government in the summer. “We need more biogas now that it’s a matter of replacing gas,” Siegesmund said at the time.
The energy supply in Germany has been in upheaval since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Step by step, Russia turned off the gas supply to the Federal Republic last year. The federal government is trying to compensate for the lack of gas supplies with LNG gas, for example. At the same time, however, the energy transition and the expansion of renewable energies should be promoted.
Above all, Voigt emphasized the base load capability of biogas. Means: Biogas can be used to provide energy even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. “With the help of biogas plants, energy can be provided decentrally and regionally by small-scale medium-sized business structures,” said Voigt.
The Thuringian CDU parliamentary group wants to discuss issues related to the energy crisis at an energy forum on Monday with representatives of the chambers of commerce and municipal companies, among others. She summarized her most important demands in a position paper:
biogas
For the expansion of biogas plants, Voigt suggests, for example, that profits should not be skimmed off from renewable energies that can cover the base load. He also pleads for a special legal status for biogas and biomethane plants in industrial and commercial areas and for a reduction in bureaucracy in the rules for dealing with digestate and liquid manure storage.
nuclear power
“Nuclear energy will be needed longer than April 2023,” said Voigt. He also calls for new fuel rods to be procured. In his opinion, the operating times of the nuclear power plants should then be based on the service life of the new fuel rods, but not before the end of 2025.
gas supply
According to the CDU parliamentary group, the gas storage facilities should be in the hands of the state. In addition, the Christian Democrats are calling for a law that obliges the storage tanks to be completely filled in the summer.
Farewell to the coal
“It would be negligent to shake the exit year 2038,” said Voigt. Bringing the planned exit forward would jeopardize energy security in East Germany.
save energy
The CDU parliamentary group underscores its demand for a €500 million special loan program. Households and companies should each be able to receive 100,000 euros per resident or workplace. The money is intended to enable investments in the field of energy saving. Voigt calls on the federal government to increase the attractiveness of energy saving investments for private households. “In addition, the tax bonus should be increased and the creditability of material costs for craftsmen’s services for energy improvement should be introduced.” He also advocates a climate bonus when replacing an old heating system. The exchange of heating systems is already being funded under certain conditions.
