Current state of biogas and biomethane production and its implications for Spain

Abstract

In recent years, Europe has tightened legislation to combat climate change. The new targets proposed by the different legal instruments include the European Green Deal, Directives RED I and RED II on renewable energies, ‘Clean Energy for all Europeans’ package, and the recently approved RepowerEU Plan, where the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and the promotion of renewable gases to be less energy-dependant are the focus of all the measures proposed. The adoption of these legal measures in Spain lags behind other countries and some financial aspects are underdeveloped. However, it is worth highlighting the measures that have been approved promote the development of projects in favour of biomethane and other renewable gases and measures to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. This study reviews the available information published in literature and discuss the current situation of biogas and biomethane production in Spain. Biomethane is a clean fuel alternative, which allows value addition to waste from numerous sources, such as landfills, agriculture, and sewage sludge. Spain has potential to produce biomass up to 163 TW h per year with important variations between regions. However, currently, it only has 146 biogas plants in operation (2.74 TW h per year) and 6 are producing biomethane, although a great number of projects are underway for the construction of new biomethane plants. The ability to address the obstacles that presently prevent the building of additional facilities will determine how well biomethane development proceeds in our nation.