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Green gas goes global
The biomethane sector is booming worldwide, according to a new report and database from Cedigaz, with more than 1,000 biomethane production plants soon to be operating in 34 countries, up from 720 at year-end 2017. ‘Long-centered in Europe, the green gas sector is indisputably going global,’ says the company.
According to the report, since 2010, world biomethane production has increased exponentially, reaching 3bn cm in 2017. In Europe, biomethane use is spreading across the continent. There are now 19 European producing countries, whose output totalled nearly 2bn cm in 2017. The US is now the world leader for the use of biomethane as vehicle fuel, following a production surge in 2014–2017 and driven by federal and state regulations.
‘The fact that China and India have recently adopted biogas upgrading technology promises to be a game changer,’ notes Cedigaz. Both countries have set ambitious biomethane production targets and figure as huge emerging markets, while in Central and South America, Brazil is taking regulatory steps to exploit biomethane’s huge potential.
Governments are increasingly recognising the many benefits of biomethane. It helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, improve air quality, promote waste management and recycling, encourage local-economy development and foster energy independence. As a result, a growing number of countries are setting up regulatory frameworks to support the biomethane sector.
