Development of the Biomethane Market in Europe

Piotr Sulewski, Wiktor Ignaciuk, Magdalena Szymańska and Adam Wąs ()
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Piotr Sulewski: Institute of Economics and Finance, Warsaw University of Life Sciences–SGGW, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Wiktor Ignaciuk: Institute of Economics and Finance, Warsaw University of Life Sciences–SGGW, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Magdalena Szymańska: Institute of Agriculture, Warsaw University of Life Sciences–SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-766 Warsaw, Poland
Adam Wąs: Institute of Economics and Finance, Warsaw University of Life Sciences–SGGW, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-34

Abstract: The challenges related to climate policy and the energy crisis caused the search for alternative ways of obtaining energy, one of the essential tasks faced by scientists and political decision-makers. Recently, much attention has been paid to biomethane, which is perceived as a substitute for natural gas. Compared to the traditional combustion of biogas in cogeneration units (CHP), upgrading it to the form of biomethane can bring both environmental benefits (reduction in GHG emissions) and economic benefits (higher efficiency of energy use contained in biomass). The purpose of this review was a comprehensive assessment of the conditions and opportunities for developing the biomethane sector in the EU in the face of challenges generated by the energy and climate crisis. The article reviews the condition of the biomethane market in the European Union, focusing on such issues as biomethane production technologies, current and future supply and demand for biomethane, and biomethane production costs with particular emphasis on upgrading processes and financial support systems used in the EU countries. The review showed that the market situation in biomethane production has recently begun to change rapidly. However, the share of biomethane in meeting the needs for natural gas remains small. Moreover, the available expert studies indicate a significant development potential, which is desirable because of the need to increase energy security and environmental and economic reasons. However, this will require organizing the legal environment and creating a transparent system of incentives.

Keywords: biomethane; renewable energy; biogas; methanation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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