A gross internal energy consumption of biogas was reached of 14.716 ktoe, a notable increase compared to 1.376 ktoe in 2000. The role of Germany stands out, where it reaches 12%, and a consumption of 8.527 ktoe, 58% of all the biogas consumed in Europe. In 2020, 56% of gross final consumption of biogas was for electricity generation, 30% went directly to the production of industrial heat, 12% to produce heating and only 2% was converted into biomethane.
Biomethane is methane produced from biomass, with properties close to “natural” gas of fossil origin. The initial product used is biogas, which contains between 40 and 60% methane, which is purified to reach a minimum of 96% methane, and can be used as fuel in gas-powered vehicles (NGV) or injected into the network. of gas as a substitute for gas to supply traditional end users (power plants, industries and homes).
Currently, in terms of biogas production, the leading countries in the EU are Germany, Italy and France, with a production of 7.745, 2.018 and 1.134 ktoe respectively. Expressed in relative values, German production represented 52,6% of total EU production, while this value reached 13,7% for Italy and finally 7,7% for France. Furthermore, due to the type of material used, and according to the data provided by Bioenergy Europe, it can be estimated that three quarters of biogas is produced from agricultural byproducts.
What is happening with biomethane in Europe?
That the number of biomethane plants in Europe between 2011 and 2020 has multiplied by 5 and the growth of the last year is the largest ever recorded. In October 2021, the number of 1.000 biomethane plants in Europe was exceeded.
This trend is also likely to accelerate at least until 2030 due to new targets set by the European Union. The REPowerEU plan that seeks to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and accelerate the ecological transition establishes a target of 35bcm (35.000 billion cubic meters) of biomethane to be produced in Europe by 2030. This target seeks to multiply current production by 12 , which in 2020 was 3bcm of biomethane.
The main producing country in the EU is Germany, however, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Italy and Sweden are building plants at a higher rate in recent years. According to calculations by the EBA, the European Biogas Association, thanks to the increase in biomethane production from biogas, it will be possible to replace 10% of the EU's gas demand in 2030 and 40% in 2050.
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