There’s an old English saying ‘where there’s muck, there’s brass’, and Russia’s Gazprom is discovering how true it is. The company has entered into a new partnership with Gasunie of the Netherlands to develop gas from organic waste.
The 100 million Euro project will include Eurotechnika which produces energy saving agricultural machinery, and fertilizer and biogas producer BioGazEnergostroy. Gazprom’s Vice Chairman, Alexander Medvedev says Russia has loads of renewable energy potential, and in the long run production of biogas ‘may amount to 35 billion cubic metres a year.’ The production of biogas in Russia is negligible, and Medvedev hopes the joint venture ‘will contribute significantly to the preservation of the environment’. This agreement will not only help Russia diversify away from traditional energy sources but also intensify Russia’s agriculture. With all the biomass either previously stored or thrown away now going into gas production Gazprom and its partners may soon find 'waste not, want not' equals profit.