Austrian biogas firms face shutdown as renewable gas law stalls

A recent surge in European gas prices, now three times higher than before the Iran conflict, has intensified pressure on Austria to generate its own gas from organic waste. The government has repeatedly spoken about expanding biomethane production, yet the Renewable Gas Act that would provide necessary incentives remains stalled in parliament. Biogas entrepreneurs like Katharina Hader, whose plant near Amstetten processes spoiled yogurt and other industrial residues, and Alfred Bergner in Pöchlarn, which uses potato peels and agricultural waste, have invested heavily and await the law's approval.

Without it, their operations could become deficit-bearing and may have to shut down, as small plants are only allowed to continue electricity and heat generation while larger facilities await a market for green gas. The Biogas-Verbands cites a national goal of at least 6.5 TWh of biomethane by 2030, yet current production is less than one-sixtieth of that level. The Austrian Energy Agency estimates that organic waste could yield around 20 TWh of biogas and biomethane by 2040, covering roughly a quarter of the country's gas demand, but political indecision threatens to lock out these investments.