In Lithuania, the Ministry of Agriculture is seeking to find out the obstacles that those willing to produce biomethane gas, a sustainable and climate-friendly alternative to diesel and petrol, face. This gas can be produced from a wide range of agricultural waste, manure, plant and food waste, making it ideal for the agricultural sector.
Kęstutis Navickas, the Minister of Agriculture, says that waste is an asset, so it is important to find out what problems are preventing those who have the intention and the capacity to produce biomethane gas from it.
“The demand for such gas will grow, and we see a huge potential, but there are many financial and administrative issues that need to be addressed. We need to assess how much we can produce and identify the areas where it can be used most efficiently.
Producing products using sustainable energy could become one of our most competitive advantages, both in the domestic and international market. People have been choosing and looking for sustainably produced products more often, which is a strong argument for business,” said the Minister.
A special task force has been tasked with identifying priorities for the development of biomethane gas production and use, production prospects, the availability of local raw materials and the obstacles to its development.
The Vice-Minister of Agriculture Paulius Astrauskas has been appointed the Chairman of the task force. This group will include specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Energy, the Lithuanian Social Science Centre, the Lithuanian Energy Agency, Amber Grid, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Baltic Sustainable Bioeconomy Development Agency, Vytautas Magnus University, the Association of Regional Waste Management Centres of Lithuania, and the State Food and Veterinary Service.