Investment calculations have shown that in suitable regional conditions the PROGRASS® concept permits a profitable utilisation of semi-natural grasslands. The economic profits of the approach is decisively influenced by the following factors:

• Pellet / briquette price.

• Location close to a biogas plant generating low-cost waste heat.

• Close distances between plant and grassland sites.

• Geographic proximity to an existing biomass pellet or briquette production facility (pellet blending) or to a biomass furnace (eg heating plant).

• Increase of prices of solid fuels.

• Investment costs.

• Labour costs.

• Maintenance and repair.

• Costs of processing energy.

• Costs and composition of grassland substrates.

• Grassland harvest yields.

• Transport costs.

• Public funding and subsidies (EU area payments, environmental measures applying to agriculture).

• Amount and interests for external capital.

Considering regional characteristic conditions, calculations of land use options and plant investment show that the approach can represent a valuable economic alternative. In addition, it contributes to preserving regional economic structures and to protecting semi-natural grassland habitats. Furthermore, the combination of the IFBB procedure with a biogas plant (IFBB Add-on) leads to improved economic efficiencies of semi-natural grassland uses by numerous synergy effects.