The EU plans to use funding under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to double the planned production of biomethane by 2030 in order to reduce the reliance on gas from Russia.

The European Commission aims to double the biomethane production objective of the ‘Fit for 55’ plan – the EU plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 – which would lead to the creation of 35 billion cubic metres of biomethane per year by that year (the current plan envisages 17 billion cubic metres per year).

In order to achieve this, the commission says that EU member states’ CAP Strategic Plans should channel funding to biomethane production produced from biomass sources, including agricultural wastes and residues in particular.

The CAP Strategic Plans are currently before the European Commission for review, having being submitted by member states before the end of last year. The commission is due to revert to member states with comments on these plans before the summer.

The boost in European biomethane output is part of an EU plan to make the bloc independent of Russian fossil fuel energy, as part of the backlash against that country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The plan, called ‘REPowerEU’, also aims to respond to rising energy prices in Europe and to replenish gas stocks for next winter.

“Europe has been facing increased energy prices for several months, but now uncertainty on supply is exacerbating the problem,” the commission said.

REPowerEU aims to diversify gas supplies; speed up the roll-out of renewable gases; and replace gas in heating and power generation, which, the commission says, can reduce EU demand for Russian gas by two-thirds before the end of the year.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “We must become independent from Russian oil, coal and gas… We need to act now to mitigate the impact of rising energy prices, diversify our gas supply for next winter and accelerate the clean energy transition.

“The quicker we switch to renewables and hydrogen, combined with more energy efficiency, the quicker we will be truly independent and master our energy system,” President von der Leyen added.