Biogas plants in Germany may soon be paid to generate electricity mainly when wind and solar power are scarce, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB has shown how existing plants could adapt. In a press release dated 22 October 2026, Fraunhofer IGB describes an on-site “Edge Device” and data platform that let biogas plants use electricity price and weather forecasts to plan when to store gas and when to generate power.
Why timing now matters for biogas plants
Biogas is considered the third pillar of renewable electricity generation in Germany. Unlike solar and wind, it can generally be scheduled. An amendment to Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), planned for 2027, is expected to place greater emphasis on flexible, market-oriented generation, with biogas plants supplying electricity mainly when solar and wind output is low and prices are high. The number of operating hours eligible for payment is also expected to be limited.
For operators of the nearly 10,000 biogas plants in Germany, the timing of when their combined heat and power (CHP) units feed electricity into the grid will increasingly decide whether they make money. According to Fraunhofer IGB, expanding gas storage is likely to be economically viable for only some older plants, so the institute has developed a cost-effective digital approach instead.
Biogas plants generate more data than they use
A biogas plant produces a lot of data. Sensors measure digester temperatures, gas composition and storage levels, and the control system logs pumps, agitators and faults. But most of this is used only to run the plant in the moment. “For long-term analyses, forecasts, or comprehensive optimization, the data are often not available in the required format,” says Alexander Laug, a process engineer at Fraunhofer IGB.
How the Edge Device works
The Edge Device is an industrial computer installed on site, in the control cabinet. It connects to the plant’s existing programmable logic controller (PLC), retrieves process data, stores them long term and organises them consistently. External information, such as electricity price forecasts and weather forecasts, can be added. Importantly, it does not require changes to the existing control logic: the PLC stays in charge of controlling the plant, while the Edge Device adds storage, analytics and computing power.
Data are processed locally. According to Laug, operational data do not have to be sent to an external cloud, and operators decide which data leave the plant. The architecture is designed to be open, so it can be adapted to different plants.
Scheduling biogas plants around electricity prices
For price-based operation, the platform combines the plant’s current status with electricity price forecasts. “A high expected electricity price alone is not enough to make a decision—sufficient gas must also be available, and the plant must be technically capable of operating as planned,” says Laug. The system therefore weighs expected gas production, the gas storage level, available CHP capacity and technical limits, then proposes a schedule: when to store biogas, when to run the CHP unit and when generation is likely to earn the most at forecast prices.
Optimisation can start even earlier, with the feedstock. Substrates differ in biogas yield, cost and speed. An optimisation model can work out a substrate mix that stays within the digester’s load limits. Fraunhofer IGB says operators can already try a simulation tool on its website.
Beyond biogas plants
The institute says the same data infrastructure could be applied to wastewater treatment plants, irrigation systems and drinking water supply. In wastewater plants, it could support more demand-driven aeration. For a related idea, see our story on coal waste and cleaner wastewater treatment.
The case for and against
The case for this approach is that it works with existing plants. It adds a computer alongside the current controller rather than requiring a rebuild or new gas storage.
The case for caution is that the release gives no field results, revenue figures or details of which plants have used the system. The EEG changes are also still planned rather than final.
My view on biogas plants and flexible power
As a writer, I feel this is a sensible, low-drama fix for a real policy shift. Doing it with data rather than new tanks sounds practical.
FAQ: Fraunhofer IGB and biogas plants
Why do biogas plants in Germany need to change how they run?
A planned 2027 EEG amendment is expected to favour generating electricity when wind and solar output is low and prices are high.
What does Fraunhofer IGB’s Edge Device do?
It collects and stores plant data on site and combines it with price and weather forecasts to suggest operating schedules.
Does the Edge Device change the plant’s control system?
No. The existing PLC keeps controlling the plant; the Edge Device adds data storage, analytics and computing.