GBEP Bioenergy Week Session highlights the crucial role of the Biomethane Industrial Partnership in driving the EU’s renewable energy agenda

Brussels, 18th of June, 2024. Rome recently hosted the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) Bioenergy Week, an event organised annually by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). During the session “Sustainability criteria and GHG emission savings thresholds for gaseous biofuels in the EU”, the crucial role of the Biomethane Industrial Partnership in achieving the EU Renewable Energy Directive’s targets was highlighted.  

With the EU targeting a 42.5% renewable energy target by 2030, and an aspirational goal of 45%, the establishment of the BIP is pivotal in advancing these ambitious targets. The session provided an opportunity to highlight the crucial role of stakeholder engagement and showcased the achievements and ongoing efforts of the BIP in driving the EU’s renewable energy agenda. 

Increasing biomethane production and usage can highly contribute to meeting the Union’s overall renewable energy targets and the renewable energy shares of individual Member States. The session also emphasised the importance of biomethane in measuring compliance with renewable energy obligations, particularly in the transport sector, and its eligibility for financial support for consumption. 

Lastly, the session provided policy updates and projections for the biomethane industry: 

  • An update to Annex VI is underway to account for fugitive emissions in biogas/biomethane production. 
  • Eurostat reported 18.7 bcm produced in 2022, with 2.77 bcm injected into the natural gas grid and 0.17 bcm used in transport, marking a 1 bcm increase over the previous year. 
  • Industry mobilisation of €18 billion by February 2024 is expected to yield visible results in the energy system by 2026-2027. 
  • Innovations such as two-phase digestors, biochar, electrodes, and methanation are anticipated to enhance biogas production from the same feedstock. 
  • The European Commission is taking actions to support the industry in developing sustainable and circular business models that would also monetise digestate as a local, organic source of nutrients and water, and utilisation of biogenic CO₂. 

 

Check out the photos of the event!