45% RES target sets right trajectory to net-zero but retroactive requirements for biogases in heating and electricity might put swift sector scaleup at risk

Brussels 31/03/23 – EBA welcomes the provisional political deal reached yesterday on the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The Directive will raise the share of renewable energy in the EU’s overall energy consumption to 45%. This will put Europe on the right trajectory to meet its climate neutrality target by 2050. Biogas and biomethane will deliver sustainable and flexible solutions to buildings, power and transport sectors. If the measures on accelerated permitting procedures for renewable energy projects, proposed in the directive, are accompanied by improved administrative capacity at member state level, this will help delivering the 35 bcm biomethane target by 2030.

The whole biomethane value-chain, including manufacture of anaerobic digestion (AD) and gasification systems, is solidly based in the EU. EBA also supports the Commission’s plan to monitor workforce demand and supply and to facilitate the set-up of training programs. The biogas and biomethane sector today provides more than 220,000 jobs and will provide 420,000 and 1 million jobs, by 2030 and 2050 respectively.

Biogas and biomethane  are delivering on  sustainability, which is a necessary condition for the further growth of our industry. Clarity, legal certainty, and long-term perspective remain necessary conditions for a favourable business environment. The retroactive application of the GHG emissions savings criteria, mentioned in the agreed proposal, will result in exaggerated cost compliance for market operators and risk to erode investors’ confidence at a time when a prompt scale up is outmost importance.

The current renewable energies directive in force since December 2018 and proposes a 32% share of renewable energy in the total EU energy consumption by 2030. Once the new proposal enters into force, member states will need to define their specific contribution to the higher target.

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About the European Biogas Association (EBA)

The EBA is the voice of renewable gas in Europe. Founded in February 2009, the association is committed to the active promotion of the deployment of sustainable biogas and biomethane production and use throughout the continent. The association counts today on a well-established network representing the whole biogas and biomethane value chain. www.europeanbiogas.eu

About biogas and biomethane

Biogas is produced from the decomposition of organic materials. These residues are placed in a biogas digester in the absence of oxygen. With the help of a range of bacteria, organic matter breaks down, releasing a blend of gases: 45 – 85 vol% methane (CH4) and 25 – 50 vol% carbon dioxide (CO2). The output is a renewable gas which can be used for multiple applications.

Biomethane –  purified biogas –  is a renewable alternative to natural gas. Its multiple applications include heat and power supply for our buildings and industries, and renewable fuel production for the transport sector.