Dr. Paul Bennett, Chairman of IEA Bioenergy at the IEA Bioenergy conference “Technology advances in liquid biofuels and renewable gas”.
Vienna, October 20, 2022
“Biomethane expansion is a strong instrument to replace gas imports. With natural gas prices above 100 EUR/MWh, the competitiveness of biomethane has improved enormously. Biomethane provides local solutions for waste, avoids methane and ammonia emissions and – very importantly – it offers alternatives to synthetic fertilizers, which are highly dependent on fossil gas,” says Dr. Paul Bennett, chairman of IEA Bioenergy in Vienna.
At the IEA Bioenergy conference “Technology advances in liquid biofuels and renewable gas” on October 17, 2022 in Vienna, around 500 experts from around the world took part in a discussion on the expansion of climate-friendly biogas and advanced biofuels, online or as participants in Vienna.
In March 2022, the European Commission set the ambitious target in its energy policy program “REPowerEU” to double biomethane production to 35 billion m³ of biomethane by 2030. The major advantage of biomethane production is that it can be produced from local sources and immediately in the existing infrastructure can be introduced. This reduces dependence on energy imports, especially from Russia.
Biomethane is also a climate-friendly energy because it replaces fossil fuels and avoids emissions of methane gas – a potent greenhouse gas – that would otherwise be emitted during the storage of manure or the decomposition of organic waste. In addition, the biogenic CO2 released when upgrading biogas can easily be separated and collected or reused, for example in the food industry.
In addition, anaerobic digestion has a byproduct digestate, which can be used for the production of biomanure. This could replace synthetic fertilizers that would otherwise require large amounts of natural gas to produce. In fact, around 70 percent of European fertilizer producers have currently reduced or stopped production due to high gas prices. Fertilizers are therefore scarce and expensive, and shortages can lead to major crop losses.
From 2024, EU member states must collect their organic waste separately, which would further stimulate the production of biogas and biomethane and contribute to the energy transition. Biomethane production is therefore expected to increase mainly from biogenic waste and residues such as municipal solid waste, industrial residues, manure, straw and landscaping residues.
Crops that do not require additional land use, such as catch crops or intercrops, should also be considered. Such catch crops are also good agricultural practices because they improve soil conditions and reduce erosion. Dr. Paul Bennett does not foresee land competition for the expansion of biomethane, on the contrary:
“We need reliable, affordable and climate-friendly energy in Europe. There is no point in pitting energy and food against each other. They are mutually dependent, as is evident from the manure problem. However, what we urgently need is easier access for biomethane producers to the natural gas grid and rapid implementation of the harmonized framework for guarantees of origin. This creates clarity and certainty for farmers, waste processors and new investors.”
Source: IEABioenergy
