In an interview with ICIS, three experts from the Danish gas and electricity grid operator Energinet confirmed that the country has been completely reliant on biomethane for several days this summer and last. These are demonstrable peak demand periods, not a full year, but a system that is now capable of this. The combination of production, grid connections, and demand appears strong enough to operate without fossil gas for short periods.
Production grows, raw materials shift
Danish digesters collectively produce roughly eight terawatt hours per year. Energinet and industry partners expect a further increase of about a quarter over the next two years. The government maintains its focus on residual flows. Starting in 2025, a four percent cap will apply to energy crops, and corn will be phased out as a raw material. This shifts the mix to manure, straw, and other byproducts. This requires more streamlined logistics, better pre-processing, and agreements on quality.
Money and rules set the pace
Brussels approved a Danish scheme worth approximately €2030 billion for new renewable gas. The support will run through auctions until XNUMX. The goal is increased capacity, faster grid connections, and room for e-methane alongside biomethane. This reduces risks for banks and developers and accelerates projects that would otherwise remain on the back burner.
Biogenic carbon as a new chain
Fermentation and upgrading release pure biogenic CO2. This stream can be captured and stored. The Greensand project under the North Sea is preparing to launch around late 2025 or early 2026, with an initial phase of hundreds of kilotons per year. If this continues, a route will be created for the permanent removal of biogenic carbon, and chain emissions per gigajoule of gas delivered will decrease.
European leading group
Denmark is a leader in biomethane production and ranks alongside France and Germany as the largest producers in the EU.
Europe now boasts over sixteen hundred biomethane plants with a combined annual capacity of several billion cubic meters. The European ambition for 2030 is thirty-five billion cubic meters. Achieving this goal requires stable policies, access to grids, and a market that widely accepts certificates.
Source: ICIS
