MV farmers' association warns of biogas cliff as EEG subsidies expire for half of the state's 546 plants
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's 546 biogas plants, most built a decade ago, will see over half lose 20-year EEG support within five years. First decisions on continued operation begin at the end of 2026.
Subsidy cliff approaching
Most of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's 546 biogas plants were built between 2006 and 2012, each backed by a 20-year feed-in tariff under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). More than half of those installations will see their guaranteed support expire within the next five years, the state's farmers' association warned on 26 July 2026. The first decisions on whether individual plants can continue operating will already be needed from the end of 2026, the association said.
Farmers' economic concerns
Farmers' president Karsten Trunk stressed that biogas is far more than just an electricity source. The plants process energy crops, slurry and other residues, providing farms with a stable income stream that also supplies heat and dispatches power when wind and solar output falls short.
Biogas is far more than just a power supplier. For many farms, the plant is an important economic pillar. It processes energy crops, slurry and other residues, reliably supplies electricity and heat, and steps in precisely when wind and sun are not providing enough energy. For that to remain possible in the future, farms finally need reliable political framework conditions.
Trunk said the sector needs clear and predictable post-subsidy rules. Without them, many operators would be forced to shut down plants that are currently a cornerstone of their business model.
Post-subsidy compensation rules
The association sees the draft rules for anschlussvergütung (follow-on payment) as a critical risk. Under the planned framework, biogas electricity would only be compensated for a maximum of 3,000 hours per year, and only during periods when wind and solar generation are limited. That would slash operators' revenues to a fraction of what they earned under the original EEG scheme, the association argued.
Environmental opposition
Environmental groups take a different view, particularly when maize is used as feedstock. NABU Schleswig-Holstein has demanded that guaranteed feed-in tariffs be allowed to expire for all plants running on maize and other energy crops. The organisation called energy maize a mistake: it contributes little to climate protection and is energetically inefficient, and the 20-year high guaranteed payment was an error in energy and environmental policy.
- First decisions on continued operation of some biogas plants are due.
- More than half of the 546 plants in MV lose their 20-year EEG feed-in tariffs.
The diverging positions set the stage for a political debate over the future of agricultural biogas in northern Germany as the subsidy cliff draws closer.
