Energy transition includes the substitution of centralized energy systems with decentralized variable renewable energy sources (vRES), the growth of which brings drawbacks such as grid congestion and intermittency. These issues are increasingly troublesome in many local energy systems, including in The Netherlands. Biogas may provide options to provide backup renewable energy in times of energy supply uncertainty. In The Netherlands, the consideration of biogas in such functions is limited. Meanwhile, local energy initiatives (LEIs) are spearheading the adoption of vRES. Because of concern over local grid balancing, LEIs may want or need to innovate and diversify their activities. Such innovation could include bioenergy in general, and biogas specifically. However, only a small number of LEIs consider bioenergy, and Dutch LEIs seem hesitant to venture into biogas specifically. In this paper we explore the question of what hinders adoption of biogas in The Netherlands in general, and by LEIs specifically, deploying an approach based on the technological innovation systems (TIS) concept. In that approach, we take insights from current and expected policy in The Netherlands juxtaposed with insights from similar countries surrounding The Netherlands. We conclude that historic developments in biogas already created a moderately supportive platform for large-scale biogas development, but some essential factors remain inadequately developed. Key barriers to biogas innovation, especially for LEIs, are insufficient mobilization of financial and knowledge resources, and insufficient attention to alleviating preconceptions. Dependable support and attention for socio-economic factors in policymaking would improve conditions associated with resources, preconceptions and resistance, and the situation for LEIs to explore the potential of biogas. However, it remains uncertain whether such measures would be sufficient to improve the potential of local biogas utilization in The Netherlands in a way that opens a role for biogas in solving energy transition challenges such as energy system balancing.
Laugs et al. (Thu,) studied this question.