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Ten-Year Network Development Plan 2017 Main Report
7.4 Renewable Gases
7.4.1 BIOMETHANE
Biomethane is created by upgrading the biogas produced by organic matter in
biogas plants. These plants can produce gas from many different sources, the most
common of which are from landfill and agricultural waste. Biogas largely consists of
methane and CO ² , and by cleaning the impurities and removing the CO ² it can be
upgraded to biomethane
1)
.
Biomethane is a renewable fuel with several benefits:
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it can be produced in a constant output and quality
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it can be used in many sectors like households, industry, power and
transportation
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it produces energy from what would otherwise be considered waste streams
Once it is compatible with the quality standards of the natural gas grids, it is possible
to compress it to high pressures and inject it into the transmission network along
with natural gas. Biomethane can then be stored, traded and transported efficiently
over long distances as discussed earlier in this chapter.
As this gives this renewable gas access to the entire gas infrastructure in Europe, it
gives the potential for biomethane to offer an efficient and cost effective way to
decarbonise sectors which are currently highly dependent on fossil fuels.
There has been a significant increase in the number of biomethane plants connect-
ed to the gas network, almost doubling their number between 2011 and 2014 as
shown in figure above. This has led to biomethane markets developing but only on
a national basis, based on national plans. There are national schemes in place in
many EU Member States that label biomethane and other carbon neutral gases for
trading. The current lack of a Union-wide labelling of biomethane is a major barrier
to develop a single market for trading green gases and maintaining the idea of a sin-
gle European Gas Market for the carbon neutral era.
1) For more information visit the European Biogas Association website:
www.european-biogas.euFigure 7.1:
Number of commissioned European biomethane plants
(Source: ENTSOG depiction of European Biogas Association)
0
250
200
150
50
100
350
300
400
2011
2012
2013
2014
Existing plants
New plants