Biomethane, a green energy

Biomethane is a gas produced from organic matter like wood, plants, food waste, and agricultural or industrial waste. It is a green energy generated from renewable resources.

Biomethane is in keeping with the circular economy rationale, and enables industrial companies as well as local authorities to use and recover mainly local waste and residues as effectively as possible.

Following a purification process, biomethane displays the same characteristic features as natural gas. As such it can be transmitted via existing supply networks, and it is appropriate for all the conventional uses of natural gas with no additional treatment.

Biomethane ranks among the resources that will help to achieve France’s targets where the transition to a low-carbon economy is concerned, namely a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, reaching a level of 32% of renewable energy in the end-consumption of energy, and halving that consumption by 2050.

Biogas recovery projects already produce a significant amount of renewable energy in many European countries: in 2009, 96 TWh of biogas were produced in Europe, including 49 TWh in Germany, primarily thanks to incentive measures and to dedicated agricultural production ; while almost 20 TWh were produced in the United Kingdom, most of which was biogas from waste storage facilities, barely 7 TWh were produced in France.
Source:  EurObserv’ER Report, 2010 (available only in french)