Brussels, 19 May 2022 – The REPowerEU detailed plan presented yesterday proposes a Biomethane Action Plan, including a Biomethane Industrial Alliance, to stimulate the renewable gas value chain and achieve the production of 35 bcm of biomethane by 2030. The plan includes a targeted revision of the Fitfor55 energy efficiency and renewable targets, together with the necessary measures to accelerate RES permitting and recommendations to facilitate renewable gas injection. This is a stepping stone to the achievement of climate-targets, the circular bio-economy and security of supply across Europe.

After the communication released last March, today’s package provides a set of tools to disentangle the EU from Russian fossil fuels, as well as to boost the EU Green Deal and drive investment to a more sustainable, resilient and sovereign energy mix. The plan is structured around 3 key areas of action: diversification of energy sources, acceleration of the clean energy transition and increase of energy savings. This will require a smart combination of investments and reforms starting from this year. The full value chain of biogas and biomethane producers, and users, is ready to cooperate with public authorities and civil society organisations to identify current bottlenecks and propose solutions for a sustainable scale-up. The production of biogas and biomethane has already created 210,000 green jobs in Europe and is saving every year 60 Mt of GHG emissions (CO2 equivalent).

“The industrial alliance proposed by the REPowerEU is an essential instrument to steer cooperation between policymakers, investors and the biomethane value chain to drive technological innovation, address bottlenecks, such as cross border trading, and ultimately speed up the expansion of the sector. The 37 billion euros of targeted investments proposed by the Commission can support the development of new capacity and infrastructure to accommodate biomethane into the gas grid and create energy communities.”  Explains Harmen Dekker, CEO of the EBA.

“The targeted revision of EU energy efficiency and renewable energy targets will speed up the green transition and contribute to a more resilient energy system.  Shorter and more transparent permitting  are a key conditions further development of the biogas and biomethane sector. We shall not forget about the dossiers that are being negotiated by the co-legislators: high targets should be accompanied by long-term perspective and clarity on REDIII sustainability requirements. The European Parliament and the Council have now a great opportunity to set a solid sustainability framework for biogas and biomethane encouraging the use of sustainable feedstocks and avoiding retroactive measures.”  Points out Giulia Cancian, EBA Secretary General.

More information

• Factsheet REPowerEU: clean energy
• EBA position paper on REPowerEU
• EBA press release on REPowerEU communication on 8 March
• Statement Sustainable Biomethane Alliance on REPowerEU communication on 8 March
• DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Angela Sainz Arnau, EBA Communications Manager sainz@europeanbiogas.eu +32 24 00 10 89