{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T01:44:46Z","timestamp":1791337486012,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"American Chemical Society (ACS)","issue":"35","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787702400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>With around 9600 biogas plants, Germany has the largest biogas sector in Europe, where methane (CH4) losses can substantially counterbalance the climate benefits of this renewable energy source. Nevertheless, comprehensive empirical data on CH4 emissions and loss rates across different plant sizes and configurations in Germany remain limited. In this study, we quantified CH4 emissions at 65 biogas production sites using mobile measurement surveys combined with Gaussian plume dispersion modeling. Observed emission rates varied between 0.3 and 255 kg CH4 h\u20131, corresponding to size-dependent CH4 loss rates. Small plants averaged substantially higher losses of the produced CH4 (\u223c8.8%), whereas medium and large plants as well as upgrading facilities showed lower, more consistent loss rates of 2.9\u20134.3%. Using two different upscaling approaches, we estimate that German biogas plants emit approximately 360\u2013370 kt CH4 yr\u20131, contributing \u223c23% of Germany\u2019s total CH4 emissions. These sector-wide emissions exceed bottom-up estimates, highlighting a systematic underestimation in current inventories. Our results represent one of the most comprehensive measurement-based assessments of CH4 emissions from German biogas infrastructure to date, showing that this method could improve national CH4 budgets, and develop and verify mitigation strategies. The observed emissions further underscore the need for leak reduction and mitigation measures to preserve the climate benefits of biogas plants.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.6c03851","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T12:36:18Z","timestamp":1788266178000},"page":"24651-24660","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Whole-Site\nQuantification of Methane Emissions from\n65 German Biogas Plants Reveals Systematic Underestimation in Current\nEmission Inventories"],"prefix":"10.1021","volume":"60","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-2778-3749","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Julia B.","family":"Wietzel","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Heidelberg University , , ,","place":["Heidelberg, Germany, 69120"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4648-769X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Martina","family":"Schmidt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heidelberg University , , ,","place":["Heidelberg, Germany, 69120"]},{"name":"Heidelberg University , , ,","place":["Heidelberg, Germany, 69120"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"316","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/9781009157896","volume-title":"Climate Change\n2021 \u2013 The Physical Science Basis:\nWorking Group I Contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the\nIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change","author":"IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate, C.","year":"2023"},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit2","unstructured":"EEA.\n          .  Methane, Climate Change and Air Quality\nin Europe: Exploring the Connections2025. HTML:\nTH-01\u201325\u2013001-EN-Q - ISBN: 978\u201392\u20139480\u2013705\u20132\n- ISSN: 2467\u20133196 - (accessed."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wasman.2019.07.029","article-title":"Total methane emission rates and losses from 23 biogas\nplants","volume":"97","author":"Scheutz","year":"2019","journal-title":"Waste Manage."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"82","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wasman.2021.01.011","article-title":"Quantification\nof methane emissions\nfrom UK biogas plants","volume":"124","author":"Bakkaloglu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Waste Manage."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit5","unstructured":"IEA.\n          . Outlook for Biogas\nand Biomethane2025https:\/\/www.iea.org\/reports\/outlook-for-biogas-and-biomethane. (accessed 03 March 2026)."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit6","unstructured":"Reinholz, T.; Schmidt, C.\n          Marktmonitoring\nBioenergie, Datenerhebungen, Einscha\u0308tzungen\nund Prognosen zu Entwicklungen, Chancen und Herausforderungen des\nBioenergiemarktes 2023https:\/\/www.dena.de\/PUBLIKATION6512023."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit7","unstructured":"AGEE-Stat Gescha\u0308ftsstelle der Arbeitsgruppe\nErneuerbare Energien-Statistik\nam Umweltbundesamt. Erneuerbare Energien in Deutschland 2025, Daten\nzur Entwicklung im Jahr 2025\n          2026\n          https:\/\/www.umweltbundesamt.de\/publikationen\/erneuerbare-energien-in-deutschland-2025. (accessed 12.03.2026)."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit8","unstructured":"European Parliament.\n          .  Directive (EU) 2018\/2001\nof the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018\non the Promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources2018."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit9","unstructured":"European Parliament\nand the Council of the European Union.  Directive\n(EU) 2023\/2413 of The European Parliament and of the Council of 18\nOctober 2023 amending Directive (EU) 2018\/2001, Regulation (EU) 2018\/1999\nand Directive 98\/70\/EC as Regards the Promotion of Energy from Renewable\nSources, and Repealing Council. 2023."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2760\/7927411","volume-title":"Methane Emissions in\nthe Biogas and Biomethane Supply Chains in the EU \u2013 An Analysis\nto Update the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting Methodology of Renewable\nEnergy Directive Annex VI","author":"Buffi","year":"2024"},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"294","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wasman.2021.11.012","article-title":"Field measurements\nof fugitive methane emissions from\nthree Australian waste management and biogas facilities","volume":"137","author":"Reinelt","year":"2022","journal-title":"Waste Manage."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"321","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wasman.2022.12.035","article-title":"The Danish\nnational\neffort to minimise methane emissions from biogas plants","volume":"157","author":"Fredenslund","year":"2023","journal-title":"Waste Manage."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"82","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wasman.2021.01.011","article-title":"Quantification\nof methane emissions\nfrom UK biogas plants","volume":"124","author":"Bakkaloglu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Waste Manage."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wasman.2024.11.021","article-title":"Assessment of whole-site\nmethane emissions from anaerobic digestion plants: Towards establishing\nemission factors for various plant configurations","volume":"191","author":"Wechselberger","year":"2025","journal-title":"Waste Manage."},{"issue":"18","key":"2026090809064351300_cit15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4631","DOI":"10.5194\/amt-18-4631-2025","article-title":"Best practices\nand\nuncertainties in CH4 emission quantification: employing mobile measurements\nand Gaussian plume modelling at a biogas plant","volume":"18","author":"Wietzel","year":"2025","journal-title":"Atmos. Meas. Tech."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rser.2024.115187","article-title":"Mitigating biomethane\nlosses in European biogas plants:\nA techno-economic assessment","volume":"210","author":"Hurtig","year":"2025","journal-title":"Renewable Sustainable\nEnergy Rev."},{"issue":"2309","key":"2026090809064351300_cit17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rspa.2024.0390","article-title":"Practical paths towards quantifying and mitigating\nagricultural methane emissions","volume":"481","author":"Nisbet","year":"2025","journal-title":"Proc. R. Soc.\nA"},{"issue":"2","key":"2026090809064351300_cit18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"901","DOI":"10.5194\/acp-18-901-2018","article-title":"Inverse\nmodelling of European CH4 emissions during\n2006\u20132012 using different inverse models and reassessed atmospheric\nobservations","volume":"18","author":"Bergamaschi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Atmos Chem. Phys."},{"issue":"23","key":"2026090809064351300_cit19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"17187","DOI":"10.5194\/acp-25-17187-2025","article-title":"German methane fluxes estimated top-down\nusing ICON\u2013ART \u2013 Part 2: Inversion results for 2021","volume":"25","author":"Bruch","year":"2025","journal-title":"Atmos. Chem. Phys."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit20","unstructured":"UBA Umweltbundesamt.\n          . Submission under the United Nations\nFramework Convention 2025 National Inventory Report for the German\nGreenhouse Gas Inventory 1990 \u2013 2023. 2025."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit21","unstructured":"Crippa, M.; Guizzardi, D.; Pagani, F.; Pisoni, E.\n          GHG Emissions\nat sub-national level. European Commission, Joint Research Centre\n[Dataset]\n          2026\n          http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/89h\/d67eeda8-c03e-4421-95d0-0adc460b9658\n          10.2905\/JRC.HZ049KG. 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Environ."},{"issue":"21","key":"2026090809064351300_cit25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6285","DOI":"10.5194\/amt-15-6285-2022","article-title":"A quantitative comparison\nof methods used to measure smaller methane emissions typically observed\nfrom superannuated oil and gas infrastructure","volume":"15","author":"Riddick","year":"2022","journal-title":"Atmos. Meas. Technol."},{"issue":"8","key":"2026090809064351300_cit26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1416","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wasman.2014.03.025","article-title":"Quantifying\nmethane emission from fugitive sources by combining tracer release\nand downwind measurements \u2013 A sensitivity analysis based on\nmultiple field surveys","volume":"34","author":"M\u00f8nster","year":"2014","journal-title":"Waste Manage."},{"issue":"1","key":"2026090809064351300_cit27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1525\/elementa.2022.00070","article-title":"Quantification of methane emission rate\nfrom oil and gas wells in Romania using ground-based measurement techniques","volume":"10","author":"Korben\u0301","year":"2022","journal-title":"Elem.: Sci. 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S.; Trim, H.; Dong, R.; Al Saedi, T.; Rasi, S.; Thual, J.; Kornatz, P.; Wall, D.; et al.\n          A perspective on the\nstate of the biogas\nindustry from selected member countries\n          2024\n          https:\/\/www.ieabioenergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IEA_Bioenergy_T37_CountryReportSummary_2024.pdf.(accessed 12 march, 2026)."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit30","unstructured":"Giuntoli, J.; Agostini, A.; Edwards, R.; Marelli, L.\n          Solid and\nGaseous Bioenergy Pathways: Input Values and GHG Emissions Calculated\nAccording to the Methodology Set in COM(2016) 767: Version 2, 201710.2790\/27486."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.48480\/zptb-yy32","article-title":"Biogaserzeugung\nund -nutzung in Deutschland: Report zum Anlagenbestand Biogas und\nBiomethan","author":"Rensberg","year":"2023"},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit32","unstructured":"EnviTec Biogas.\n          \n          https:\/\/www.envitec-biogas.co.uk\/references\/guestrow#. (accessed\n3 December, 2026)."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit33","unstructured":"German Energy Agency (dena).\n          . Einspeiseatlas\nBiomethan\/Biomethane Feed In Atlas2026https:\/\/www.dena.de\/biogaspartner\/biomethan\/einspeiseatlas\/. (accessed 12 March, 2026)."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit34","unstructured":"German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur).\n          . Core Energy Market Data Register\n(Marktstammdatenregister, MaStR)2025https:\/\/www.marktstammdatenregister.de\/MaStR\/Datendownload.\n(accessed 12 December, 2025)."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biortech.2018.08.080","article-title":"On-site and ground-based remote sensing measurements\nof methane emissions from four biogas plants: A comparison study","volume":"270","author":"Fredenslund","year":"2018","journal-title":"Bioresour. Technol."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wasman.2022.12.012","article-title":"Methane losses from different biogas\nplant technologies","volume":"157","author":"Wechselberger","year":"2023","journal-title":"Waste Manage."},{"issue":"20","key":"2026090809064351300_cit37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15145","DOI":"10.5194\/acp-18-15145-2018","article-title":"Quantifying\nuncertainties from mobile-laboratory-derived emissions of well pads\nusing inverse Gaussian methods","volume":"18","author":"Caulton","year":"2018","journal-title":"Atmos. Chem.\nPhys."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2023.166610","article-title":"Methane emission\nrates averaged over a year from ten farm-scale manure storage tanks","volume":"904","author":"Vechi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit39","unstructured":"International Energy Agency (IEA).\n          . Methane emissions and related intensities\nfor biogas\nand biomethane supply2025https:\/\/www.iea.org\/data-and-statistics\/charts\/methane-emissions-and-related-intensities-for-biogas-and-biomethane-supply-2023. (accessed 3 March, 2026)."},{"key":"2026090809064351300_cit40","unstructured":"International Energy Agency (IEA).\n          . Renewables : Analysis and forecasts to 20302025https:\/\/iea.blob.core.windows.net\/assets\/76ad6eac-2aa6-4c55-9a55-b8dc0dba9f9e\/Renewables2025.pdf.(accessed 3 March, 2026)."},{"issue":"1","key":"2026090809064351300_cit41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s44458-026-00065-3","article-title":"Majority of methane\nemissions from European biogas plant supply chains could be eliminated\nat no net cost","volume":"1","author":"Olczak","year":"2026","journal-title":"Commun. Sustainability"}],"container-title":["Environmental Science &amp;\nTechnology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1021\/acs.est.6c03851","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"unspecified"},{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/esthag\/article-pdf\/60\/35\/24651\/67434768\/acs.est.6c03851.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/esthag\/article-pdf\/60\/35\/24651\/67434768\/acs.est.6c03851.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T13:06:55Z","timestamp":1788872815000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/esthag\/article\/60\/35\/24651\/5331375\/Whole-Site-Quantification-of-Methane-Emissions"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]]},"references-count":41,"journal-issue":{"issue":"35","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acs.est.6c03851","relation":{},"ISSN":["0013-936X","1520-5851"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0013-936X","type":"print"},{"value":"1520-5851","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]]}}}