Biogas has promising future in EU, study shows

The biogas sector is growing rapidly amid increasing concerns about oil and gas prices and climate change, according to a new report prepared by a consortium of renewable energy groups. 

• A growing market

The report, entitled the ‘Biogas Barometer’ and produced by a consortium of renewable energy organisations led by France’s Observ’ER, cites a 13.6% increase growth in biogas use for primary energy production between 2005 and 2006. 

Combined heat and power (CHP) facilities in particular are using an increasing amount of biogas for electricity and heat production, with Germany’s CHP sector leading the way.

In the UK, electricity production from landfill gas is substantial and growing. The city of London, for example, has ambitious plans with respect to power generation from waste (see EURACTIV’s interview of 10/07/07 with London Vice-Mayor Nicky Gavron). 

Denmark and Sweden also consider biogas as a cornerstone of their energy mix, according to the Barometer. 

• Varying quality

Biogas quality differs depending on the source: biogas created from municipal waste, for example, may contain harmful metals. In general, the higher the methane content of the gas, the better its quality.

In addition, not all electricity generators can use biogas with a low methane content, since the burning of the “unpure” gas creates residue deposits in the generator. 

Thus certain types of biogas need to be cleaned before they can be fed into natural gas networks or into certain electricity generation facilities, which translates into an added cost and a limiting factor on the market, according to Frédéric Tuillé of Observ’ER.

Biogas produced from agricultural waste is generally considered to be of the best quality, as it contains few pollutants and is high in methane.

• France’s potential

The 15 Mtoe-by-2010 biogas target set in the 1997 White Paper will not be met, according to the Barometer, which forecasts between 5.7% and 8.6% Mtoe of biogas use in the EU by 2010.

France is singled out in the Barometer in connection with the missed target, since its huge agricultural sector offers great, yet still largely untapped, potential for growth in biogas output. 

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