Harm Grobrügge appointed new President of the European Biogas Association
The new President was elected yesterday during the General Assembly of the EBA and will be in charge for the association for the next 3 years. The composition of a new Board of Directors was also submitted to a vote. The elected candidates will support the EBA in highlighting the current potential of biogas and biomethane in the transition towards decarbonisation and the development of a truly circular economy.
Harm Grobrügge has worked in the biogas sector for the past 36 years and he has been Vice-President of the EBA since the association was founded in 2009. He has also been actively involved in the German Biogas Association (Fachverband Biogas) since 1985, holding different responsibilities: Regional spokesman, Board Member, representative within the BEE (German Renewable Energy Federation) and associate to Clearingstelle-EEG. In addition to this, Mr Grobrügge operates his family’s farm in Northern Germany with an on-farm biogas plant installed in 1983. He succeeds in the role of President Dr. Jan Štambaský, from Czech Republic, who has stepped down after 5 years in this position.
The newly appointed President will be supported by an Executive Board which includes both former members and new faces from different EU countries. The two new EBA Vice-Presidents have been closely involved in EBA activities during the past years: Piero Gattoni (Italian Biogas Association) and Michael Niederbacher (BTS Biogas, Italy), who will assume this position as chairman of the Company Advisory Council (CAC). Philipp Lukas (REA, UK), Anders Matthiasson (Swedish Gas Association), and the chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAC), Erik Meers (Biogas-E, Belgium), have also renewed their commitment as Board Members to support EBA during the next mandate. The Executive Board will count as well on other representatives of national associations: Frederik Gast (VGGP, Netherlands), Sylwia Koch-Kopyszko (UPEBI – Polish Biogas Association), PJ McCarthy (Renewable Gas Forum, Ireland) and Niels Peters (Dutch Biogas Association, Netherlands).
The President recalled the “great potential of biogas and biomethane to provide flexible renewable energy for EU industries and citizens and decarbonise the energy sectors, helping to achieve EU energy and climate targets. In the coming years, we also expect the biomethane production to skyrocket in several European countries contributing to the greening of the European gas grid”, Mr Grobrügge explained. “I would like to warmly thank the previous President Jan Štambaský and the outgoing Board Members for their dedication and active involvement in EBA activities. Building on this legacy, I will continue working closely with EBA members and other stakeholders to promote a favourable legal framework and support the industry through continuous R&I developments which reflect the positive contribution of our sector to the sustainable development of European societies.”
The role of the former President and members of the Executive Board during the past years has been essential to guarantee the increasing awareness of renewable gases’ positive role in Europe the active involvement of the association in achieving positive legislative and research developments for the sector. The new appointments will take up the torch to ensure a promising future for the biogas and biomethane sectors in the coming years with the support of the EBA members.
