Watts in Grass!? officially launched

Groningen, 16 June 2026 – The cross-border project Watts in Grass!? officially launches with a kick-off during the New Energy Forum. The project receives €2,94 million in co-financing from the Interreg VI A Deutschland-Nederland programme.

Within the project, Dutch and German companies, agricultural entrepreneurs, and knowledge institutions will collaborate over the coming years on innovative solutions for the biogas value chain. By making smart use of grass, grass-rich residual streams, and digestate, the partners aim to increase sustainable energy production, reduce nitrogen and CO₂ emissions, and develop new revenue models for farmers.

From grass to green gas, hydrogen, and biochar

The agricultural sector faces major challenges. Rising energy costs, stricter environmental requirements, nitrogen pollution issues, and the need to replace fossil fuels call for new, innovative solutions. At the same time, the sector possesses large quantities of biomass and residual streams that could be utilized more effectively.

Watts in Grass!? is therefore developing and demonstrating an integrated system in which grass and residual streams are converted into sustainable energy and high-quality products. This combines various innovative technologies. Grass is fermented more efficiently, CO₂ from biogas is converted into additional methane using green hydrogen, nitrogen is removed from digestate, and fiber-rich residual streams are processed into biochar. As a result, more green gas is produced from the same amount of biomass, emissions are reduced, and valuable raw materials are preserved within a circular system.

This creates a circular system in which energy, nutrients, and raw materials are utilized to the maximum extent. In doing so, the project contributes to future-proof agriculture that is less dependent on fossil fuels, causes fewer emissions, and creates new economic opportunities.

From laboratory to farmyard

An important part of the project is scaling up innovations to practice. Various technologies have been developed and tested at laboratory scale in the REMO-LAB in Groningen over the past few years. Within Watts in Grass!?, these innovations are being further developed, integrated, and demonstrated for the first time at an agricultural scale.

The central demonstration site is situated at the Schulte Siering agricultural company in Bad Bentheim, Germany, just across the Dutch border. Here, innovative fermentation techniques, biomethanization, digestate electrolysis, and thermochemical processing of residual streams are brought together in a single practical environment. The results are subsequently used for economic analyses, life cycle analyses, and the development of scalable business models for the agricultural sector.

Cross-border cooperation

The project brings together ten Dutch and German partners and is supported by eight associated partners. The collaboration combines the strengths of both countries: Dutch expertise in circular technologies and sustainable energy is coupled with extensive practical experience with biogas plants in Germany.

New Energy Coalition acts as project coordinator and is responsible for overall project management, communication, and regional anchoring of the results. Kompetenzzentrum 3N handles knowledge dissemination in Lower Saxony and supports implementation with German partners.

The technological development is led by Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, Hochschule Emden/Leer, and Hochschule Osnabrück. They work on the development, monitoring, modeling, and evaluation of the various innovations. Ekwadraat provides support with economic analyses, business models, and policy issues.

On the practical side, companies play an important role. Schulte Siering is making its farm available as a demonstration site. Paques is developing and implementing the biomethanization technology, D&R Energy is building the digestate electrolyzer for hydrogen production and nitrogen removal, while BTG Biomass Technology Group is responsible for the integration of the pyrolysis technology for the production of biochar.

Over Watts in Grass!?

Within Watts in Grass!?, ten Dutch and German organisations are collaborating on innovative solutions in and around the biogas value chain. Using technologies such as anaerobic digestion, biomethanisation, digestate processing, and thermochemical conversion, we extract more energy and valuable raw materials from grass and residual streams. In this way, over the next three years, we are building a circular system with green gas, biochar, and reusable nutrients as the foundation for a future-proof business model in agriculture.

Project Watts in Grass!? is part of the Interreg VI Germany-Netherlands programme and is co-funded with €2,94 million by the European Union, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK), the State Chancellery of Lower Saxony, and the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Overijssel.