The update assesses the feasibility of the RePowerEU target for 2030 of 35 billion cubic metres (bcm).
In the study, GfC highlight that enough sustainable feedstocks are available to meet the aforementioned target – with estimates of 41 bcm of biomethane in 2030.
The report also sets an estimation of 151 bcm in 2050 could be available. (Current EU natural gas consumption is 400 bcm (of which 155 bcm was imported from Russia).
Biomethane potential in 2030 per technology and country
Source: Gas For Climate
The paper lists France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain as the top five counties in both 2030 and 2050 due to their abundance of manure, agricultural residues and sequential cropping.
This is a significant step, displaying that biomethane has a large role in meeting the EU’s 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Biomethane can also play a part in increasing European energy security by reducing the reliance on Russian natural gas and from other volatile foreign sources.
Currently 3 bcm of biomethane and 15 bcm of biogas are produced in the EU, to meet the potential that GfC outlines, significant short-term, and long-term, scaling up is required.