Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Alternative Fuels” on the development of biomethane production” №5464 were adopted!

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in the first reading the draft Law on Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Alternative Fuels” on the Development of Biomethane Production №5464!

The Bioenergy Association of Ukraine fully supports this draft law as one that will allow Ukraine to start production, consumption, and export of biomethane.

Three main tasks that the draft law solves

1. Regulates the term “biomethane” as biogas, which in its physical and technical characteristics corresponds to the regulations on natural gas for supply to the gas transmission and distribution system or for use as motor fuel.
2. Creates the “Biomethane Register” – an electronic system of accounts designed to register the amount of biomethane submitted to the gas transmission or gas distribution system and selected from the gas transmission or gas distribution system, as well as to form guarantees of biomethane origin, their transfer, distribution or cancellation, and certification.
3. Establishes the procedure for forming guarantees of origin of biomethane.

Biomethane is the future of biogas

Biomethane is biogas purified to the quality of natural gas, which usually contains 95-98% methane (CH4). Biomethane can significantly contribute to the decarbonization of the gas sector by making renewable gases available for transport, industry and heating.

Biomethane as a complete analog of natural gas can be used for the production of heat and electricity, as a fuel for transport, as well as raw materials for the chemical industry.

World production

In 2019, world biomethane production reached almost 5 billion m3 / year. The leader in biomethane production today is the EU – biomethane production in Europe already exists in 18 countries. The European Biogas Association forecasts that by 2030 the biogas and biomethane sector could almost double production, and by 2050 production could increase more than fourfold. The potential production of biogas and biomethane in the EU in 2030 may reach 44 billion m3 / year. According to Danish government plans, in 2025 the production of biomethane and natural gas in the country should equalize, and in 2035 natural gas will be completely replaced by biomethane.

Potential

The potential for biomethane production in Ukraine is estimated at 7.8 billion m3 / year. The potential covers biomethane from agricultural waste and by-products (3.8 billion m3), corn silage (2.7 billion m3), as well as other livestock and processing waste (1.3 billion m3). “Roadmap for the development of bioenergy in Ukraine until 2050” provides for the launch and growth of biomethane production in Ukraine to 1.7 billion m3 / year in 2035 and up to 3 billion m3 / year in 2050.