Meadow Grass Becomes a Raw Material for Insulation, Peat Substitutes and Paper
As more grassland in Germany falls out of fodder use, experts see potential in using grass biomass in the bioeconomy. A conference in Leipzig noted that profitability and missing markets remain obstacles.
Germany will have more grassland that is not used for animal feed in the future, driven by shrinking livestock numbers, deliberate rewetting and a changing climate. This grass biomass could help industry replace fossil raw materials. The issue was discussed at a conference on the grass bioeconomy at the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ) in Leipzig, held as part of the DVL ideas competition on the bioeconomy in rural areas.
Ways to use grass
Besides biogas, grass can be turned into fibre materials and insulation, peat substitutes, grass paper, biochar and biorefinery products. Cascading use is considered favourable: valuable materials are extracted from the grass first, and the residues are used for energy afterwards. This raises value creation and resource efficiency.
Grass or grass silage is used in 30 to 40 percent of biogas plants, making up about 8 percent of the total input on average. The share is higher in grassland-rich regions in the south and north, according to Prof. Daniela Thrän of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). In green biorefinery approaches, silage is first processed into press juice, from which lactic acid and amino acids can be obtained. The residue becomes feed, fibre or biogas.
Outlook for 2050
The UFZ is modelling how grass use in Germany might look in 2050. One scenario assumes that 250,000 hectares of permanent grassland are harvested, with the biomass used for flexible power generation from biogas combined with CO2 capture.
Climate and rewetting
Grassland's climate impact depends on the soil. Intact permanent grassland on mineral soils can store carbon, while drained organic soils such as peatlands are significant CO2 sources. More than 50 percent of Germany's peatland soils, almost 1 million hectares, are currently farmed as permanent grassland. Net grassland emissions in 2024 were 24 million megagrams of CO2 equivalents.
Obstacles
High transport and processing costs and a lack of sales markets hamper a broad market rollout. Experts point to regional value chains, short transport distances and long-term cooperation. A grass bioeconomy will not emerge through funding programmes alone; reliable policy, fewer regulatory hurdles and paid ecosystem services are needed.
