Europe’s biomethane output is to receive a significant boost under a €37 billion action plan to increase production to 35 billion cubic metres (bcm) by 2030.
Measures proposed under the Biomethane Action Plan – which is to be co-funded by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) – aim to “unlock the full biogas and biomethane potential” of all EU member states.
Outlined actions would facilitate increased production of biogas and its subsequent conversion into biomethane, as well as its integration into the EU internal gas market.
The action plan involves a €37 billion investment for sustainable biomethane and its increased use in households, industry and agriculture.
The European Commission said:
“In particular, member states and stakeholders can use the opportunities of the current and future programming of the CAP, and of the cohesion policy to include, where relevant, support to biogas and biomethane in their programmes and strategies.”
The proposed actions are part of the REPowerEU Plan by the European Commission, which aims to end the EU’s dependency on Russian fossil fuels “well before” 2030.
Measures under the REPowerEU Plan include the accelerated rollout of renewable energy, with a new 45% target by 2030 proposed by the commission.
Action plan
The plan proposes the establishment of an industrial biogas and biomethane partnership to stimulate the renewable-gas value chain, as well as measures to improve infrastructure deployment; access to finance; research; and technology.
The production of sustainable biomethane should be waste-based, and by 2024, EU member states will have to separately collect organic waste.
The commission said this is an “opportunity to upscale the production of biogas and biomethane sustainably, creating income opportunities for farmers and foresters”.
Member states are to develop national strategies which include the sustainable production of biogas and biomethane, and the plan calls for incentives to encourage the conversion process.
The European Commission said this would include the reduction of costs for economic operators which currently prevent the process of upgrading biogas into biomethane.