The round table dedicated to biomethane projects in Spain during the 17th International Bioenergy Congress, brought together in October 2024 Sergio Cabellos, Director of Public Business Center at PreZero; Óscar Maciñeiras, CEO of ENCE; Laurence Molke, Executive Director of CYCLEØ; and Héctor Palacios, at that time Green Gas Originator & Senior Business Developer at ENGIE.
During the debate, moderated by scientist and popularizer Helena González Burón, experts shared their views on the present and future of this sector. The discussion addressed various topics, from the sources of biogas in the country to the regulatory and technological challenges that the industry faces in order to reach its full potential.
Raw materials for biomethane production
Currently, around 50% of the biogas generated in Spain comes from landfills, which contrasts with the situation in other European countries, where this source represents only 7-8%. Sergio Cabellos highlighted that although landfills play an important role in the production of biogas, the trend is to move towards a more controlled and industrialised process, based on anaerobic digestion. Óscar Maciñeiras added that the new projects in development are aimed at taking advantage of organic biomass from livestock, agriculture and the agri-food industry, which could transform the industry in the coming years.
Challenges in infrastructure and production
Although Spain has a solid gas distribution network, panellists agreed that much remains to be done in terms of infrastructure for biomethane production. Héctor Palacios explained that although the country has an extensive gas transport and distribution network, the real challenge lies in connecting new biomethane production plants to this network. He highlighted the need for technologies such as reverse flow, which are already used in France to make better use of existing infrastructure and solve the problem of lack of demand in some rural areas.
Decentralized production and micro-plants
The conversation also focused on micro biomethane production plants, especially in rural areas where there is no direct access to gas pipelines. Molke shared his experience in creating virtual gas pipelines, a solution that allows transporting the biomethane produced in these small plants to the nearest distribution networks. This model still needs to improve the economic and logistical aspects, but it could become a viable alternative to increase biomethane production in remote areas.
The panel discussed how to use carbon dioxide (CO2) resulting from biogas purification. Laurence Molke pointed out the integration of new technologies, such as methanation, which allows combining CO2 with hydrogen to create innovative products, such as synthetic methane. These processes would help reduce CO2 emissions and also offer new opportunities in the energy industry.
Regulatory barriers and opportunities
Throughout the discussion, panellists highlighted the regulatory barriers that hinder the development of biomethane projects in Spain. Long processing times and a lack of clear incentives were mentioned as the main obstacles.
One of the key topics addressed at the roundtable was the need to establish mandatory biomethane quotas in Spain, similar to those already in place in countries such as France or Denmark. These quotas would require natural gas suppliers to include a minimum percentage of biomethane in their mix, which would guarantee stable and predictable demand for domestic producers.
According to the panellists, this measure would speed up the development of infrastructure and projects and reduce the country's energy dependence by fostering a strong local industry. Without quotas, the sector could face irregular growth cycles, depending excessively on external demand and third-country regulations.
The round table made it clear that Spain has great potential for the development of biomethane. Technological advances, together with collaboration between the private sector and public administrations, offer a promising path for the future of bioenergy in the country.
