Biomethane is the upgraded form of biogas, consisting of almost 100% methane, and is equal to natural gas in quality. Biomethane can also be produced by gasification or power-to-methane technologies. Its multiple applications include providing heat and electricity for buildings and industries and producing renewable gaseous fuels for the transport sector.
The European Commission 2022 published the RepowerEU plan, which sets the ambition that by 2030, 35 billion cubic meters (bcm) of biomethane, equivalent to 350 TWh, will be produced yearly in the European Union. In the European Union in 2023, biomethane production reached a record 4.9 bcm from 1510 biomethane plant
According to the Gas for Climate report (2022), the EU has enough feedstock potential to produce 41 bcm of biomethane, exceeding the RepowerEU target of 35 bcm by 2030. Biomethane is expected to be produced from 150-200 m tonnes of available biomass to 5000 new biomethane plants, provided that existing biogas plants (159 TWh) are converted to biomethane plants.
The biogas and biomethane market can secure 280,000-490,000 jobs at the European level by 2030 and 1.1 to 1.8 million Jobs by 2050.
In today's conditions and given the strong political will from the EU for the use of green gaseous fuels from biomass (biogas/biomethane) in the energy sector, the production and use of biomethane offer significant opportunities that can boost entrepreneurship and contribute to energy transition and enhancing sustainability across the continent.
Especially for Greece, biomethane will offer a comprehensive solution and can contribute to the goals of the country's energy policy as follows:
1. To protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gases by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
2. In the security of energy supply: with the diversification of existing energy production sources and a legislative framework that will govern the use of biomethane in the NATURAL GAS distribution network.
3. In sustainability: the energy utilization of biomass mainly organic municipal/industrial waste, for the production of biomethane, to contribute effectively to reducing the effects of climate change.
Our company systematically supplies large-scale biomethane production units in Europe with high-yield biomass from our group's Cat.3 Animal By-Products processing facilities (Cat.3 Animal Fat Processing Residues) in the Balkans.
At QS VENOLIA, as major producers of industrial organic biomass, we are pioneers and an important link in the development of biomethane production. As biomethane is now considered a key green tool to tackle the climate crisis, we are becoming wiser and more contagious with each passing day. Therefore, a collaboration with us is an investment in the green transition.
