Today, the European Biogas Association (EBA) released an analysis projecting €25 billion in private investments flowing into the biomethane sector by 2030. This marks a significant 30% increase compared to last year’s estimates. The 2nd edition of the Biomethane Investments Outlook anticipates an additional €2.1 billion in investments still in the pipeline.
These investments are expected to lead to the establishment of 950 new biomethane plants across Europe, supplementing the existing 1,300 facilities. Annually, this expansion will add 6.3 billion cubic meters (bcm) of biomethane capacity, helping to avoid nearly 29 million tons of CO2 emissions annually. Additionally, it will provide renewable energy to 5 million European households year-round and produce 830 thousand tons of fertilizer annually.
Denmark, Poland, and Italy are set to be the primary beneficiaries of these investments, with Denmark leading with €3.6 billion earmarked primarily to increase biomethane’s share in the gas grid to close to 40% and potentially substitute 100% of gas demand by 2030.
Following the launch of the REPowerEU plan two years ago, the industry is swiftly mobilizing to achieve the ambitious target of producing 35 bcm of biomethane by 2030. The focus remains on unlocking the full potential of biomethane production through strategic investments and the development of new plants across Europe.
The alignment of the EU Taxonomy with REPowerEU objectives for biomethane is crucial for directing capital towards sustainable investments, despite ongoing challenges in implementing screening criteria. Ensuring stable regulatory frameworks and facilitating long-term utilization of biomethane and its by-products are essential steps to secure these investments.
EBA will present the detailed findings of this analysis during the webinar titled “Biomethane scale-up in figures: Mapping new plants and investments across Europe” on 5th July, where the updated European Biomethane Map will also be unveiled.
