Countries-leaders in the production of biomethane

  • 30/12/2022
  • 170

We continue to share the current statistics of the European Biogas Association. Currently, there are biomethane plants in 22 European countries. Countries with the largest growth in biomethane production in 2021: France, Denmark, and Germany.

France

France’s biomethane market has grown the most over the past five years. In 2021, biomethane production increased by 2,130 GW•h. Currently, in France, 1,149 projects are at various stages of development.

Denmark

In 2021, the total production of biogas and biomethane in Denmark reached a quarter of the consumption of natural gas. Biomethane production in Denmark increased by 1,642 GWh. It is important that by September 2022, Denmark has already replaced 29.7% of natural gas consumption with biomethane.

Germany

Germany remained the leader in biomethane production in 2021. The state increased annual production by 1,553 GW•h.

Nippon Cargo Airlines starts using SAF
Nippon Cargo Airlines starts using SAF
Nippon Cargo Airlines starts using SAF

Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia currently produce more biomethane than biogas. And such countries as France, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and Great Britain are already close to this.

Italy is expected to launch a significant number of new plants in 2022. Belgium (Flanders) and Estonia started biomethane production in 2018, the Czech Republic commissioned its first two plants in 2019.

During 2020, Ireland, Latvia, and the Walloon part of Belgium also supplied the first biomethane to gas networks. Slovakia produced the first volumes of biomethane in February 2022.

Nippon Cargo Airlines starts using SAF
Nippon Cargo Airlines starts using SAF

There are different ways to supply biomethane.

In Austria, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Great Britain, biomethane plants are mainly connected to distribution gas networks.

In Italy, mainly large biomethane plants are being built, which are connected to transport gas networks (GTS). The great role of GTS in Germany. In the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland), gas networks are underdeveloped, so biomethane plants work mainly in autonomous mode.

Agricultural waste and secondary products are used. Agricultural waste and secondary products are widely used in countries such as Denmark, Greece, Luxembourg, Cyprus. Corn silage is traditionally used in Germany, as well as in countries such as Croatia, Serbia, and Slovakia.

Solid household and industrial waste, as well as sewage, are also used as raw materials.

Biomethane is produced from solid domestic and industrial waste, domestic and industrial wastewater in Germany, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine (sugar beet pulp).

Photo: euractiv.

Diagrams: EBA.