The president of the Spanish Biogas Association, Francisco Repullo, highlights that, although technology has the potential to become a pole for all of Europe, the objectives set by the government are not ambitious enough.
According to numbers from the Administrative Registry of Electrical Energy Production Facilities (PRETOR), of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, in Spain there are 130 biogas generating facilities, with an estimated production of 2,74 TWh.
In dialogue with Strategic Energy, the president of the Spanish Biogas Association (AEBIG)Francisco Repullo Almagro, comments that the industry in the country is “in an optimistic state and with great expectations.”
“Spain's great potential, the growing demand for renewable gases to achieve decarbonization and energy self-sufficiency objectives, make us confident that its development will be unstoppable and imminent,” says the manager.
Following this line, he describes some aspects in which biogas can attract members of the industry and part of society: “One point is the environment, the recovery of waste, the generation of employment in rural areas, the production of bioproducts. , or the generation of renewable, indigenous, local, storable and manageable energy. It is a paradigm of the circular economy.”
However, the AEBIG leader maintains that the Government should encourage the development of biogas more, taking into account that, although Spain is the third country with the most resources to produce biomethane in Europe, it is behind its peers. “We just have to look around us and learn from the success stories around us, one of the few advantages of arriving a little late,” the leader observes optimistically.
And he highlights: “There are various ways to promote biomethane, from CAPEX aid, guaranteeing minimum rates, tax relief, etc. But not only economic, also the streamlining of permits and licenses, for example, is another of the issues demanded by companies in this sector."
Unambitious goals
Likewise, Repullo Almagro emphasizes the biogas roadmap, warning that, although it marks a path to follow, in his opinion it is “very unambitious.”
“It sets a goal for 2030 of 3,5% of gas consumption being biomethane, while other countries around us have accepted the goal established by the European Union of 10%,” explains Repullo Almagro.
It is worth remembering that the roadmap for this technology is regulated by the Ministry for Energy Transition, and awards a line of aid with a value of €150 million for unique biogas projects, and they are part of the Recovery, Transformation and Recovery Plan. Resilience (PRTR).
Finally, he gives his opinion on the role of biogas in the energy transition, highlighting that all renewable energies are important to achieve climate neutrality in 2050, the objective of the Comprehensive National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC).
“We must not forget that biomethane is much more than renewable energy, it is also a “clean and cleansing” technology., since it avoids greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing organic matter, in addition to the other positive externalities that it enhances in industry and society,” says Repullo Almagro.
