Germany Waste to Energy Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The German waste to energy market is expected to register a CAGR of more than 3% during the forecast period, 2020-2025. An increasing amount of waste generation, the growing concerns for its management to meet the need for sustainable urban living, and increasing focus on non-fossil fuel sources of energy have been driving the adoption of the waste-to-energy market in the country. However, the market has been restrained by the increasing recycling rate of waste, and the harmful and expensive nature of incinerators, particularly as energy prices decline and several plants are unable to cover operating costs.

Key Highlights

• The thermal technology is expected to dominate the waste-to-energy market, owing to the increasing development in the incineration and gasification technologies, as well as the increasing amount of waste generated.
• The emerging waste-to-energy technologies, such as Dendro Liquid Energy (DLE), which is four times more efficient in terms of electricity generation, with additional benefits of no emission discharge and effluence problems at plant sites, are expected to create significant opportunities for the market players, over the coming years.

Key Market Trends

Thermal Based Waste to Energy Conversion is Dominating the Market

• The increasing developments in the technologies of incineration and gasification are among the primary factors driving the thermal division. Future waste streams in Germany are determined through consideration of the emergence and availability of wastes and residues potentially usable for thermal treatment and the connected capacity developments of energy recovery facilities.
• Germany has a high recycling rate of 67.6% for household waste and around 70% for industrial and commercial waste. There are 68 waste incineration plants operational in Germany, with a capacity of around 20 million metric ton.
• According to a waste management overview published by the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, in 2018, waste management in Germany accounted for an annual turnover of around EUR 70 billion with more than 15,500 waste management facilities running in Germany. The country has also been actively promoting sustainable energy generation with the conversion of waste to electricity.
• Germany has significantly shifted their focus with respect to municipal waste disposal methods to prevention and recycling. Although municipal waste represents only around 10% of total waste generated in the country, the prevention of this waste has the potential to reduce the environmental impact not only during the waste conversion phase but also through the life cycle of the products consumed.

Increasing Recycling Rate of Waste in Germany Expected to Restrain the Market

• The recycling rate of waste in Germany remains among one of the highest in the world, and it also offers greater economics than waste incineration, which has affected the studied market's growth in the country.
• In addition, the adoption of the resolution by the European Commission, to turn Europe into a more circular economy and boost recycling of municipal solid waste to more than 65% by 2035, is expected to affect the market for incineration as well.

Competitive Landscape

The German waste to energy market is moderately fragmented. Some of the key players are Tana Oy, Martin GmbH, Envi Con & Plant Engineering GmbH, EEW Energy from Waste, and STEAG Energy Services GmbH.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support