EEG Feed-in Tariff for Biogas: Section 44 and Worked Example

Electricity from a small manure biogas plant is supported under section 44 of Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz, EEG) with a statutory reference value (anzulegender Wert) of 22 ct/kWh up to 75 kW rated output and 19 ct/kWh up to 150 kW rated output. For plants commissioned from 1 July 2024, section 44a reduces these values by 0.5 per cent a year. Plants with up to 100 kW installed capacity can choose a fixed feed-in tariff, while larger plants must use direct marketing with a market premium. Payments last for 20 years.

Section 44 EEG: the basis for small manure plants

Section 44 sets the reference value for electricity from biogas that comes mainly from manure. In short, the conditions are: power is generated at the biogas site, total installed capacity at the site does not exceed 150 kW, and at least 80 per cent manure by mass is used on average over the calendar year. Poultry manure and dried poultry droppings do not count as manure, while perennial clover grass can be credited up to 10 per cent by mass. The technical side is covered in the guide to small manure biogas plants.

Small manure plants get their value directly from the Act. They do not need to take part in the biomass auctions held by the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), which makes revenue easy to plan for small farm plants.

Rated output and pro rata calculation

The tariff band depends on rated output (Bemessungsleistung), not installed capacity. Rated output is the electricity generated in the calendar year divided by the hours in that year. A plant generating 657,000 kWh therefore has a rated output of 75 kW.

If rated output exceeds 75 kW, section 23c EEG requires a pro rata calculation. The share up to 75 kW receives the higher value and the share between 75 and 150 kW the lower one. The result is a blended value that falls as rated output rises.

Annual reduction under section 44a

Under section 44a EEG the reference values for new plants fall by 0.5 per cent a year, first on 1 July 2024. The commissioning date is decisive, and the value applying on that date stays fixed for the whole support period. The arithmetic gives the following values:

The table is derived arithmetically from the statutory text (as of October 2026). The binding values are those published by the Bundesnetzagentur. Check them before you commit to an investment.

Feed-in tariff or direct marketing

The EEG offers two ways of being paid:

• Feed-in tariff (Einspeisevergütung): the grid operator takes the electricity and pays a fixed amount per kWh. This route is only open to plants up to 100 kW installed capacity. Under section 53 EEG the reference value for biomass is reduced by 0.2 ct/kWh in this case.
• Direct marketing with market premium (Direktvermarktung mit Marktprämie): a direct marketer sells the electricity on the power exchange. You receive the market revenue plus a market premium from the grid operator that closes the gap between the monthly market value and the reference value. The direct marketer charges a fee, and the plant has to meet technical requirements such as remote controllability.

For many small manure plants the question is very practical. With no more than 100 kW installed, the simple feed-in tariff remains available. Anyone installing more capacity, for flexible operation or as a reserve, moves into direct marketing. Note also that for new plants, section 51 EEG can restrict payments during periods of negative electricity prices, with details depending on the commissioning date.

Switching between the feed-in tariff and direct marketing is possible in principle, but only from the first day of a month and with prior notice to the grid operator. In both cases only electricity actually fed into the grid is paid for. Electricity used by the plant itself or by the farm receives no EEG payment, although it saves on power purchases. Rated output, on the other hand, is based on the total electricity generated.

Negative power prices: section 51 EEG

For periods in which the spot market price is negative, section 51 EEG reduces the applicable value to zero. Plants below 100 kW installed capacity are exempt until the end of the calendar year in which a smart metering system is installed. In practice, once a smart meter is in place, hours with negative prices drop out of the payment, so gas storage and a flexibly operated CHP unit become more important. The calculator on this site does not deduct these hours.

Support period: 20 years

Under section 25 EEG (German only), market premium and feed-in tariff are paid for 20 years, starting at commissioning. For plants whose reference value is set by law, as with small manure plants, the period runs until 31 December of the twentieth year of payment. What happens afterwards is covered in the guide to biogas after the EEG.

Worked example for two farm plants

The following calculation shows the order of magnitude of annual electricity revenue. It assumes commissioning from 1 July 2026 and the calculated values from the table.

Option A: feed-in tariff

1. Installed capacity 100 kW, electricity generated 657,000 kWh, rated output 75 kW.
2. Reference value about 21.67 ct/kWh, minus 0.2 ct/kWh under section 53: about 21.47 ct/kWh.
3. Annual revenue: 657,000 kWh at 21.47 ct/kWh gives roughly 141,000 euros.

Option B: direct marketing

1. Installed capacity 150 kW, electricity generated 963,600 kWh, rated output 110 kW.
2. Blended value under section 23c: 75 of 110 kW at about 21.67 ct/kWh and 35 of 110 kW at about 18.72 ct/kWh, giving about 20.73 ct/kWh.
3. Annual revenue from market sales plus market premium: roughly 200,000 euros, before the direct marketer’s fee.

Option B earns more but needs considerably more manure or co-substrates and a larger plant. Whether that pays off depends on investment, operating costs and heat use. The biogas calculator gives a first estimate with your own figures, and the guide to biogas profitability goes into more depth.

Points to watch

EEG payments come with obligations that apply throughout the support period. These include registration in the core energy market data register (Marktstammdatenregister), the feedstock log for the manure rule and reports to the grid operator. Mistakes can reduce the entitlement or cancel it for a year. It is therefore worth having the payment questions checked by an experienced planning office before ordering a plant. You will find suitable firms under planning and engineering.