Biomethane could replace a fifth of Germany's gas imports from Russia

Germany has the potential to feed 100 TWh of biomethane into the gas network per year by the end of this decade which is equal to about one-fifth of the country's consumption of Russian natural gas in 2021, the association of energy and water industries BDEW said on Monday.

The association has presented a set of measures that should be introduced in order to accelerate the expansion of biomethane and tap the existing potential as biomethane production in Germany totalled only 10 TWh in 2021.

Some of the proposed measures include simplified approval processes for the construction of new biomethane plants, the introduction of a model for expanding production through carbon contracts for difference (CCfDs), and new regulations for biomethane feed-in.

Additionally, the production capacity for biomethane could be increased by using the technical potential of existing plants, according to BDEW.

The association noted also that the EU-wide trade of biomethane should be supported.

Biomethane is a reliable source of energy that does not depend on weather conditions and increasing its production and use would not only contribute to quickly becoming independent of Russian gas imports but would also help to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, BDEW's head Kerstin Andreae said. Therefore, it is important to quickly create a regulatory framework that will enable Germany to leverage the untapped potential in the area, Andreae added.

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