New REGATRACE deliverable on Hot-Spots for renewable gas production in Regatrace countries

REGATRACE WP5 (WP5 – Integrated assessment and sustainable feedstock mobilisation strategies), aims at identifying promising concepts and regions for biomethane (both from anaerobic digestion and gasification) and power-to-methane production. As part of this work, the WP has published a comprehensive report on the status quo of biomethane production in REGATRACE countries as well as the specific preconditions of the respective countries and regions to increase production capacities in the future. The Deliverable D5.2 is available on the REGATRACE website.

The REGATRACE Project aims to support the international trade of sustainable renewable gases which can be considered one important element towards long-term strategies for a sustainable energy system. Within REGATRACE, WP5 analyses potential promising technologies for the production of renewable gases and identifies sensitive issues and open questions related to the assessment and sustainability certification of renewable gases. As part of this work, the recently published Deliverable D5.2 includes a discussion of the potentials for biogenic CO₂ from biogas and biomethane production in the EU as well as a discussion of potential hot-spot regions to couple biogenic CO₂ sources with renewable electricity capacities to produce renewable gases in the REGATRACE member states.

While technologies for biogas and biomethane from AD are well developed and production capacities do exist in various EU countries, further capacities for H2 and synthetic methane production are needed to achieve the GHG reduction targets on EU and member state levels. The current status of policy framework and the respective markets for biomethane is very divers. Member states are using a wide range of policy instruments and measures (e.g., feed-in tariffs quota systems, etc.) to support the development of biogas and biomethane production. Furthermore, several EU member states implement measures which support a transition of the biogas sector towards the production of more biomethane based on an increasing share of wastes and residues as feedstocks, while the overall importance of energy crops for biogas and biomethane production will further decline. Furthermore, Biomethane production plants can produce CO₂, which can be an important feedstock for the production of synthetic fuels. The regional distribution of the potentials for green CO2 from AD plants follows the ranking of the primary biogas and biomethane producers in the EU. This report estimates a total theoretical potential of 33,517,367 tonnes of green CO2 from AD plants in the EU (based on 2019 production figures). Assuming that the total theoretical potential of green CO2 can be mobilised, together with 6,141,127 tonnes of H₂, a theoretical total of 12,217,840 tonnes of synthetic methane can be calculated. Considering the very different preconditions, potentials but also the technology and feedstock focus in the various EU member states and the REGATRACE countries, also future production targets and potential hot-spot or preference regions for renewable gases are very divers across the EU. Thus, this report includes short profiles for each REGATRACE partner country, summarising the current situation for RG production. The report is available in the WP section of the REGATRACE Homepage.