Municipalities in Twente and West Overijssel are aiming to increase the production of green gas as part of their Regional Energy Strategy. They are considering the use of biogas hubs, where multiple farm digesters are interconnected.
The UT – ITC team presented a new planning tool for municipalities to plan biogas hubs and a test model for regional digestion, developed as part of the BIOZE project.
Merlinn van Nieuwkuijk of VersnellingNL presented various options for initiators and municipalities to promote biogas hubs. She noted that approaches vary depending on how grid operators perceive their role. For instance, Rendo and Cogas are actively involved in biogas hubs, while Enexis focuses only on its statutory task: the natural gas network.
Municipalities expressed the need for a clear framework for infrastructure development from the central government and the province. They prefer construction by the network operator, but also acknowledged successful experiences with local contractors building and managing local biogas networks.