Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Author: Proadpran B. Piccini
EBA launches the 11th edition of the statistical report, highlighting biomethane as one of the major green gas sources for Europe in the coming decades.
According to the study by EBA, biomethane could contribute up to 30 – 40% of the European total gas demand by 2050, a significant increase from today’s coverage.
In 2020, combined biogas and biomethane represented 4.6% of gas demand in Europe, and the proportion is expected to rise to 11% by 2030 with a specific target for biomethane accounting for 8%. The EBA has observed a steep increase in the growth of biomethane production in Europe; the number of new plants commissioned in 2020 was double the new plants added in 2019, pushing the total annual biomethane production capacity to 32 TWh by the end of last year.
The EBA Statistical Report 2021 comprises seven chapters as follows:
While Chapter 1 gives an overview of renewable gas use in Europe’s bioeconomy, including in cities, farming, and industry, Chapter 2 focuses on the development of biogas and biomethane markets in Europe from 2009 - 2020. The chapter includes information such as production data, upgrading technologies, plant size, feedstocks, and connections to the gas grid.
Chapter 3 provides the analysis of the future growth and potential solutions for the sector. Chapter 4 explores relevant policy trends in the biogas and biomethane sector, covering Fit-for-55 Package as well as policy for heating, transport, agricultural, methane emissions, and sustainable finance. Biomethane for transport, including Bio-LNG and Bio-CNG development in Europe as well as infrastructure to support the deployment of gas vehicles, is discussed in Chapter 5.
In Chapter 6, potential job creation in the sector for both direct and indirect jobs is presented. The report concludes with the country analyses in Chapter 7. In this chapter, 22 countries are examined, and the analysis covers issues such as support schemes and policies, trends, production, and feedstocks in each country.
In contrast to the previous report (EBA Statistical report 2020), the current 2021 report discusses the societal aspects of biogas, in terms of job creation for the biogas and biomethane sector. In addition, the report emphasises the use and adoption of biomethane in the transport sector.
For more information, visit EBA