A broad group of European industrial organisations wants biomethane to be given a stronger place in European Union policy. In a joint statement dated 24 March, the signatories call on Brussels to more explicitly involve biomethane in energy security, industrial competitiveness, and climate policy.
According to the organizations, biomethane can help reduce the use of fossil natural gas in sectors that are difficult to make sustainable. This concerns not only energy, but also the use of gaseous molecules as a raw material in industrial processes.
Biomethane positioned more broadly
The Joint Biomethane Declaration has been signed by organizations from the biogas sector, chemicals, paper, fertilizers, glass, and agriculture, among others. This makes the document broader than a call from renewable gas producers alone.
The signatories explicitly present biomethane as part of a broader industrial strategy. The statement mentions chemicals, metals, pulp and paper, maritime transport, and fertilizers, among others, as sectors where biomethane can play a role. The organizations also point out that biomethane can be deployed via the existing gas infrastructure.
Co-products also count
The statement looks beyond just the gas itself. Digestate and biogenic CO2 are also mentioned as valuable co-products for agriculture and industry. In doing so, the signatories place biomethane within a broader narrative regarding the use of organic residues and renewable carbon.
Call for faster scaling up
The organizations call on the European Union to remove barriers in the market. They point out problems regarding certification, cross-border trade, and the recognition of guarantees of origin in the CO2 accounting of companies and products.
In addition, they advocate for more scope for long-term off-take contracts between producers and users. Such Biomethane Purchasing Agreements should make investments in new production capacity more attractive. The signatories also call for a European support mechanism modeled on the Hydrogen Bank.
Political message to Brussels
With this statement, a broader industrial coalition is seeking to place biomethane more firmly on the Brussels agenda. The call goes beyond support for a single sector. The signatories call for political recognition, fewer market barriers, and targeted instruments to scale up production and use more quickly.
Whether the European Commission and the member states will adopt that line remains to be seen in the coming period.
Source: Joint Biomethane Declaration, full PDF
Photo: Julia Koblitz, Unsplash.com
