The document outlines the strategy proposed by Jan Stambasky, President of the European Biogas Association, to address challenges facing the European biogas industry. It proposes focusing on 2030 renewable energy targets and policies, regulations around bio-waste, digestate and sustainability criteria. It also advocates for standardized biomethane markets across Europe to increase energy security and potentially eliminate dependence on Russian natural gas imports through biogas development. The strategy recognizes biogas as a multi-benefit industry but that support policies must acknowledge all its advantages to realize its potential.

1. Strategy to Respond to the
Challenges Facing the
European Biogas Industry
Jan Stambasky – EBA President
II. Conference of the European Biogas Association
Egmond aan Zee, 30.09.2014

2. European
Biogas
Association
25
countries
–
32
National
Organisations
–
36
companies
www.european-­‐biogas.eu
www.eu4biogas.eu

3. EBA
2012

4. European Biogas Industry 2014
Ø > 14 000 Biogas plants all over the Europe
Ø ~ 15 000 000 000 m3 methane will be produced in 2014
Ø >30 m3 of methane per capita
Ø >250 Biomethane plants
Ø in AT, CH, DE, DK, ES, FR, FI, LX, NL, NO, SE, UK
Ø ~ 1 000 000 000 m3 biomethane produced
Ø > 7 500 MW installed power in combined H&P
Ø 3-4 fairly sized conventional power plants

5. Biogas is Multitalent
Transport,
Electricity &
Heat
Nutrients
recycling
Decentralized
energy
production
Waste
management
Balancing
energy
Schmack Biogas GmbH
Resource-versatility
Bio-fertiliser
(Digestate)
MULTITALENT

6. Key Policies for Biogas Industry
Ø 2030 Targets and support of renewables
Ø EU Energy policy, State Aid, …
Ø Bio-waste
Ø Circular economy, Waste framework directive, …
Ø Biomethane
Ø European standards, European biomethane market, …
Ø Digestate
Ø Fertilizer regulation, End-of-waste criteria, …
Ø Sustainability
Ø Sustainability criteria, Indirect land use change (iLUC), …

7. 2030 Targets
Ø Binding RES targets
Ø CO2 target only is not an option…
Ø Only long-term and stable policies are efficient
Ø Targets have to be both, EU-wide, and national too
Ø State aid guidelines
Ø Ambitious goals for transport
Ø Separate target for transport is a must
Ø We can deliver zero, or even negative CO2 emissions

8. Sustainability of Biogas Production
Emissions:
Grammes
of
CO2
equivalent
per
km
Source:
Organic
power

9. Sustainability of Biogas Production
Ø LCA analyses are to be made comprehensive and factors
affecting the sustainability criteria scientifically sound,
predictable and stable
Ø GHG emission calculations: consider all emissions including
the avoided ones: manure credits, fertiliser effect of digestate
Ø Promote the use of catch and cover crops for biogas
productions
Ø Biomethane classification as an advanced biofuel
Ø Ban bio-waste landfills and improve households’ waste
separation
Ø Good agricultural practice, #biogasdoneright
Ø Parallel session on substrates (9.00 – 10.30)

10. Biowaste and Digestate
Ø Circular economy
Ø Anaerobic digestion process is a bio-refinery
Ø European Eco-label Criteria
Ø Reasonable limits on contaminants, sampling frequency, …
Ø End-of-waste criteria for digestate, and biowaste
Ø Efficient waste management first
Ø Best Reference Technique Document (BREF)
Ø EU Fertiliser regulation
Ø Various criteria set upon digestate (composition,
contaminants), …
Ø Parallel session on digestate (11.00 – 12.30)
EBA Digestate Workshop on 15/10/2014

11. Biomethane Opportunities
Ø Multiple use, including motor biofuel
Ø Use of natural gas distribution and storage systems
Ø New geographical and commercial dimensions
Ø Possibility of cross-border transactions
Ø Biomethane in transportation
Ø CNG/LNG consumption 2012: 3,0 billion m3
Ø Biomethane production 2012: 0,6 billion m3
Ø CNG/LNG consumption 2020: 10 - 15 billion m3
Ø Biomethane as biofuel 2020: 2,0 - 3,0 billion m3 (20%)
Ø We can keep pace with 20% share in NG fleets fuel

12. Biomethane/Biogas Production…

13. … Compared to Natural Gas

14. Strategies for Biomethane
Ø Biomethane standardization (CEN/TC408)
Ø Biomethane from syngas to enlarge our potential
Ø Enabling biomethane cross-border trade
Ø One Europe needs one market
Ø Harvesting opportunities of one market space
Ø The „bio” quality must be certified in the producing country
Ø The „bio” qualification from the producing country must be
acknowledged in the receiving country
Ø Push for National Biomethane Registries
Ø Track, confirm and document the biomethane transactions
along the contractual chain

15. Biomethane Technical Potential
Resource Potential
[1×109
m9]
Woody Biomass 66
Herbaceous Biomass 11
Wet biomass residues 26
Energy crops 48-143
Total 151-246
Green Gas Grid Project, 2013
European Biomethane Roadmap
Maximal technical potential
EU 28 NG consumption 2013
462×109 m3 (2% down from 2012)

16. European “Independency”
Ø Only 9 countries do not import Russian natural gas
Ø Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ireland, Malta, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden, United Kingdom
Ø Baltic countries and Finland import 100% …
Ø Even the Netherlands with its gas reserves imports 5%
(22.1 TWh)
Ø Switzerland 23% (8.7 TWh)
Ø Annual imports of 1226 TWh or 24.2% (2012)
Ø 7% less compare to 2011
Ø Three major pipelines (Nord Stream, Yamal, Brotherhood)
Eurogas Statistical Report 2013

17. European “Independency”

18. Biogas Industry Can Answer This
Ø Nord Stream
Ø 2× 27.5 billion m3/y
Ø Yamal
Ø 33 billion m3/y
Ø Brotherhood
Ø Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhgorod
pipeline, 4 500 km
Ø 33 billion m3/y
Total current EU biogas production
is about 14×109 m3 of NG equiv.
NREAP target for 2020 is
28×109 m3 of NG equiv.

19. European Strategy for Biogas Industry
Ø 2030 Targets and support of renewables
Ø EU Energy policy, State Aid, …
Ø Bio-waste
Ø Circular economy, Waste framework directive, …
Ø Biomethane
Ø European standards, European biomethane market, …
Ø Digestate
Ø Fertilizer regulation, End-of-waste criteria, …
Ø Sustainability
Ø Sustainability criteria, Indirect land use change (iLUC), …

20. European Strategy for Biogas Industry
Ø Biogas is delivering more than energy
Ø … all the advantages have to be acknowledged
Ø Biogas industry can be a pillar of EU energy security
Ø 2020 EU biogas target is comparable with major gas
pipelines capacity (or Ukrainian gas transits)
Ø Entire biomethane potential can completely avoid
imports of Russian natural gas
Ø But we cannot “replace Nord Stream” without knowing the
legal status of digestate produced… and many other things.
Ø Multitalent industry needs multiple strategy

21. Strategy to Respond to the
Challenges Facing the European
Biogas Industry
Jan Stambasky
President
European Biogas Association
stambasky@european-biogas.eu
www.european-biogas.eu