Last week, the European Commission announced that it will speed up the roll-out of renewable gases in its plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030 and to respond to rising energy prices.

The target for biomethane production by 2030 will increase to 35 billion cubic metres (BCM). Biomethane is a renewable gas produced form anaerobic digestion (AD) plants.

Renewable Gas Forum Ireland (RGFI) welcomed the announcement. Commenting on the news, RGFI CEO PJ McCarthy said: “Ireland lags well behind the rest of Europe in producing biomethane and action is urgently required in terms of capital grants to build AD plants and introducing a renewable heat obligation scheme as a fair and stable means to socialise costs.“

The measures announced in the new REPowerEU plan could gradually remove at least 155 BCM of fossil gas use, which is equivalent to the volume imported from Russia in 2021.

The Commission proposes to work with member states to identify the most suitable projects to meet these objectives.

Gas Networks Ireland

Gas Networks Ireland also welcomed the announcement to diversify gas supplies and speeding up the roll-out of renewable gases.

Gas Networks Ireland’s director of customer and business development David Kelly said: “There is significant scope for biomethane production in Ireland.

“A domestic biomethane industry would not only support the decarbonisation of the agricultural sector, but it would also provide significant opportunities for rural communities and facilitate sustainable circular economies, with businesses powering their operations via renewable gas made from their own waste,” he concluded.