"Now that the district of Mettmann has already converted its power supply to 100% renewable energies, the use of sustainable biogas was the next step towards a climate-neutral future," explains Dr. Sebastian Kock, climate protection manager at the Mettmann district administration. The goals from the district's Integrated Climate Protection and Climate Adaptation Concept include a strong increase in local electricity and heat generation from renewable energies by 2050.

Previously, Stadtwerke Konstanz had won the Mettmann district's tender for a climate-neutral gas supply. The contract runs until the end of 2022 and provides for the supply of properties with, among other things, seven million kilowatt hours of Green Gas-certified biomethane. This accounts for one-third of the total gas supplied to the district's properties and is roughly equivalent to the consumption of 360 single-family homes. Dr. Kock adds, "Every contribution to the energy transition matters. Climate-neutral biogas use should become a matter of course for municipal administrations to underscore its exemplary function for its citizens."

Promoting the energy transition with biogas from sugar production

The biogas certified with the Green Gas label is obtained 100 percent from waste and residual materials from a sugar beet factory. Thus, the sugar beet leaves that are unusable in sugar production are turned into raw biogas by means of a special biogas plant. This turns the actual biowaste into a genuine energy raw material.

Unlike other tariffs, the district of Mettmann actively supports the expansion and promotion of renewable energies with the "SeeEnergie BiogasPlus" tariff from Stadtwerke Konstanz. This is because the gas price includes a fixed subsidy amount of 0.1 cents per kilowatt hour, which is guaranteed to flow into energy transition projects. "We are delighted to have gained a new customer in the district of Mettmann, who cares as much about climate protection as we do. In principle, you can't design your gas supply with much more of a good conscience," says Andrea Ibach, Sales Manager at Stadtwerke Konstanz.

Grünes Gas-Label - independently verified

The biogas produced by Stadtwerke Konstanz thus meets the demanding criteria of the Green Gas certification. Among other things, the label guarantees biogas production from regionally available biowaste. This strengthens regional economic cycles and, in particular, avoids unnecessary CO2 emissions from long transport routes. The energy turnaround projects that come about through the subsidies are also checked by the biogas label of the environmental associations. "The fact that the district of Mettmann supplies its properties with biogas produced in an environmentally friendly manner is a strong signal for climate protection. Municipalities and cities must make their energy procurement green. The Green Gas label, which is backed by the major environmental organizations NABU and BUND, among others, ensures that the district's high environmental standards are also met," says Christian Knops, head of Green Gas certification.