The Federal Network Agency announced the results of the tenders on December 3rd, with a closing date of October 1st. The biomass tender was significantly oversubscribed. 807 bids were received for 813 megawatts of capacity, totaling 940 megawatts. 692 awards were made, of which 33 were for new installations with 63 megawatts and 659 for existing ones with 752 megawatts. A total of 87 bids were excluded.
Flexibility as a condition, more volume available
This round, for the first time, fell under the so-called biomass package in the February revision of the German Renewable Energy Act. Only plants with highly flexible operation are eligible for support. This is intended to encourage producers to capitalize on price differences and thus better integrate solar and wind power into the system. At the same time, the tendered volume has been significantly increased, securing more production for a longer period.
Prices remain below the established maximums
Winning bids for biomass ranged from 11 to 19,48 cents per kilowatt-hour. The weighted average was 18,11 cents. This is below the maximum for existing installations set in February. This round therefore demonstrates competitive pressure with larger volumes and stricter conditions.
South Germany takes the largest share
The regional distribution shows a clear focus. Projects in Bavaria received 276 megawatts of allocations, spread across 266 projects. Lower Saxony follows with 143 megawatts and North Rhine-Westphalia with 94 megawatts. This distribution reflects the existing base of biogas and solid biomass in these states.
Solar roofs lightly signed but stable priced
At the same time, the regulator published the results for solar panels on buildings and noise barriers. 283 megawatts were tendered, and 310 megawatts of bids were submitted. After exclusions, 121 awards totaling 281 megawatts remained. The winning prices ranged from 8,28 to 10,40 cents per kilowatt-hour, with an average of 9,66 cents. The round was lightly subscribed, although the price remained stable within the range.
Supervisor sees support for new rules
According to CEO Klaus Müller, the oversubscription confirms that the tightened financing regulations are working. In his words, translated from the press release, "the winning biomass plants can now make a greater contribution to the market integration of renewable energy sources." He also sees a slight increase in the number of registrations for solar roofs after previous declines.
Source: German Federal Network Agency.
Photo: Guntar Feldmann, Adobe Stock
