Biogas production is growing in European countries and represents a valuable alternative for many farmers. The European Biogas Association (EBA) foresees a doubling of biogas production by 2030 and a quadrupling by 2050, according to our colleagues at Irish Farmers Journal.
Biogas is a well-known form of alternative energy in Europe. Currently, there are an estimated 19,000 anaerobic digestion sites in operation on the continent, producing approximately 167 terawatt hours (TWh) of biogas. A further 725 sites produce around 26TWh of biomethane. Many of these sites are farms.
According to a report by the EBA, the production in Europe should increase further to 467 TWh by 2030, partly due to the growing demand for biomethane as an alternative fuel.
What is biomethane?
Biomethane is cleaned biogas and the green alternative to natural gas. The market for this gas has grown strongly almost everywhere in Europe in recent years, with a 15% increase in production in 2019 compared to the previous year. The leader in biomethane production is France.
Livestock as a source
Still according to the EBA report, biogas and biomethane are mainly produced by livestock farmers to the detriment of energy crops (in decline since 2013). Today, agricultural residues, bio-waste and other waste, as well as manure, are the main sources used to produce these substances.
Source: Irish Farmers Journal
