Report “Biomethane in Europe

This study by ifeu, questions whether it is possible to achieve the set target of producing 35 billion cubic metres of biomethane per year by 2030.

Biomethane is being proposed by the Commission in its RePowerEU plan as a replacement for Russian fossil gas due to the Ukraine crisis. In March, the European Commission RePowerEU Communication proposed a twelvefold increase in biomethane production in Europe by 2030. The ECF commissioned a report with the German research institute Institut für Energie und Umweltforschung (IFEU) to shed light on whether the Commission target is attainable and sustainable and what the land use implications might look like.  

Key Findings:

• A realistically achievable biomethane potential within the EU is about 17 billion cubic meters or half of what the Commission proposes.
• A considerable amount of unsustainable, crop-based biomass would likely have to be used to meet the 35 bcm biomethane target, requiring up to around 5 to 6 million hectares of arable land. This equals 5 % of the complete arable land and 20 % of the land used for wheat cultivation in the EU27. 
• Using crop-based biomethane would lower the land available for food production significantly, putting further stress on global food prices.

The report is available here.