GREEN GAS FOR A GREEN DEAL
The EU Green Deal is a great opportunity to enable the direct scale-up of biomethane, an industry with huge available potential to deploy renewable gases, help the development of rural economies and drive an efficient circular economy. Over 200 participants and more than 30 speakers, including high-level industry representatives, policy-makers, researchers and journalists, attended the 2020 edition of the European Biogas Conference ‘Green Gas for a Green Deal’. 4 morning sessions showcased the opportunities and challenges of the renewable gas sector and the expectations for the coming years.
Key takeaways
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The speakers…
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A landmark event for the biogas sector in Europe
Every year, this conference provides a platform for discussion on the latest developments on biomethane and other renewable gases in Europe.
The European Green Deal has set a clear ambition towards carbon-neutrality by 2050. Biogas, biomethane and other renewable gases will play a key role in helping Europe’s transition to a clean energy system with a genuinely resource-efficient and circular economy.
In the path towards 2050, open dialogue with policy makers, industry, academia and citizens is essential to make sure all resources to achieve our ambition are used. Check the programme we have prepared for you!
As the annual landmark event organised by the EBA, the European Biogas Conference will provide a platform for discussion on how to successfully untap the potential of renewable gases in this new context. It will also showcase the latest updates of the renewable gas industry and provide a space for business exchange and knowledge-sharing.
Join us for an inspiring debate on the challenges and opportunities of the renewable gas industry for the years ahead!
Sponsors
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Media partners
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Conference 2020 with Harmen Dekker
Op 5 september 2019 organiseert Biogas-E het inmiddels 6de Vlaams Vergistingsforum in de gebouwen van Fluvius te Leuven.
Brussels, 08/08/2019 – In the current race against global warming, it is our duty to look at all viable solutions to guarantee a sustainable future. Measures to ensure a large-scale deployment of existing clean technologies and investments in R&D to develop disruptive innovations are a must. European citizens are calling on policymakers to find long-term solutions for one of the biggest challenges of our times. The main obstacles are still standing: in 2017, 73% of our energy consumption was based on fossil fuels, the main source of GHG emissions.
Just days ago , Ursula von der Leyen, new President of the European Commission committed to make Europe the “first climate-neutral continent.” Her mandate begins with a strong political commitment in the right direction: the coming five years will be climate’s make-or-break time. In this context, a legislative framework enabling the large-scale deployment of sustainable biogas and biomethane will be of critical importance to decarbonize industrial processes, transports and help balancing the grid.
Biogas is produced through the anaerobic digestion or gazification of agricultural wastes, energy crops, sewage sludge, biodegradable wastes or wood residues from industry, households and commercial uses. Its versatility allows its use for energy production, in power, heat and transport sectors, as well as in industrial processes.
Decentralized biogas production and use in rural areas offers the opportunity to green the agricultural sector, provides rural communities with a sustainable source of energy and diversifies farmer’s income. Biogas generation offers involved operators a revenue that can be forecasted: this is a decisive factor for the long-term prospects of a farming business.
Biogas is readily dispatchable and has proven to be highly efficient with a reduction of CO2 and GHG emissions. In 2017, thanks to biogas use, the EU was able to cut about 61 Mt CO2eq, a GHG emissions saving roughly the equivalent of the annual emissions of Bulgaria, representing 1,3% of the annual EU GHG emissions. This demonstrates how biogas contribution can get EU closer to cut its emissions by 40% by 2030.
The potential of biogas is confirmed by a drastic increase in its consumption: 25 times since 1990 reaching in 2017 a gross inland energy consumption of 16.826 ktoe produced in 17.783 installations.
Moreover, in recent years several EU countries started digging in the potential of biogas’s upgraded version: biomethane. Since 2011 the number of biomethane plants tripled. This upgraded version of biogas – containing 96% or more of methane – has the advantage of having the same characteristics of natural gas and can be therefore injected in the grid or used in any other sector where natural gas is used today.
While Germany historically counts the highest number of biomethane plants, France had the highest growth rate for biomethane plants in 2017 and 2018 due to favorable policy conditions and aims at reach 1.000 biomethane plants injecting its gas into the national gas grid by 2020. France example demonstrates that by introducing favorable legislative frameworks and incentives, biomethane production can drastically increase. Equally, to untap the potential of biomethane the EU should gear up for its large- scale deployment. To achieve this, fossil fuels subsidies should be phased out in favor of measures promoting a credible carbon price able to internalize the negative externalities of local and global pollution.
“If we are to achieve climate targets and we want a real transition towards a circular economy, it is crucial to unlock the full potential of all renewable energy sources. Scaling up biogas and biomethane production means promoting renewable energy and fertilisers, but also standing by local development, efficient agriculture and sustainability.” Susanna Pflüger, Secretary General of the EBA.
“Sustainable biogas is much more than energy: it is the key for decarbonization for several industrial sectors, to improve competitiveness and sustainability of agriculture and farms through the production of renewable energy and fertiliser.” Jean-Marc Jossart, Bioenergy Europe, Secretary General.
Bioenergy Europe has today released its 2019 Report on biogas, in collaboration with the European Biogas Association (EBA), to provide policy makers and other stakeholders with the most up-to-date figures on the sector and a useful eagle-eye view on the matters at hand.
A short policy brief has also been made available. The two-pager includes highlights and a selection of graphs, providing an overview of the current dynamics of the biogas sector.
Download the policy brief and the full report
Last June, EBA was part of the 260 exhibitors attending EXPOBIOGAZ, the most important Biogaz exhibition in France. 4,781 participants visited the 8th edition of this major biogas event held this year in Lille on 12 and 13 June co-organised by EBA member Club Biogas ATEE.
The programme offered a packed schedule of well attended 30 presentations and inspiring discussions. On the menu, different topics covering the current trends and challenges for biogas development in France and Europe: funding opportunities, employment and training, development of company quality labels or R&D.
Apart from the many interventions on the agenda, attendees could participate in one of the different side events, including visits of anaerobic digestion sites, or go through the exhibition corridors and discuss with anaerobic digestion plant manufacturers, after-sales and maintenance experts, equipment suppliers (pre-treatment, digestion, purification, etc.), digestate value recovery solutions, gas injection solutions, CHP, NGV builders and converters, and related services.
The exhibition attracts the whole spectrum of biogas stakeholders: farmers, local authorities, as well as representatives of agri-food, waste processing or transport industries.
The exhibition has a strong national presence, but the number of exhibitors and visitors from outside France grows every year. In the 2019 edition, 34% of the exhibitors came from other countries, mainly Germany, Benelux, the UK, Scandinavia, and Switzerland. The number of professional visitors from abroad represented 14.5% of total attendance with significant presence from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
If you are already looking forward to the next edition, you”ll like to know that the dates for next year are already confirmed: 3 and 4 June in Lille.
Pastoor Consult provides tailor-made advice for market parties involved in the production of secondary fuels and waste processing. Recently, the company has been involved in the development of the Bio Energy Coevorden (BEC) bio-digester, which supplied the first cubic meters of green gas to Gasunie’s national gas network in the past weeks.
The new installation is expected to run at the maximum capacity of 26 million cubic meters of green gas per year around the turn of the year. A quantity that is more than the annual consumption of the municipality of Coevorden.
The BEC bio-fermenter at the Europark in Coevorden is one of the largest industrial bio-fermenters in the Netherlands and one of the larger in Western Europe. The installation was built under the so-called SDE subsidy from the Dutch government.
In total, the digester can process 215,000 tonnes of manure and biomass per year. The residual product digestate is phosphate-rich and is transported by train to phosphate-poor soil in eastern Germany. As a return cargo, the train brings gravel from Germany back to the Netherlands for the concrete industry.
The construction of the installation started in the spring of 2017 and required an investment of 60 million euros. The installation offers work, directly and indirectly, to 20 people.
For more details about this success story, you can contact EBA’s new member, Pastoor Consult: Geert Jan Pastoor gjpastoor@bioenergycoevorden.nl
We have seen in the past weeks positive outputs in the negotiations of biowaste recovery related policies. EBA is involved in different working groups to ensure the perspective of the biogas industry is adequately considered and to promote the removal of legal uncertainties and barriers concerning the use of digestate and the production of bio-fertilisers. We have prepared for you a compilation of the latest updates on this field.
Digestate exempted from REACH
The amendment of Annex V to the REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) now includes ‘digestate’ in the list of substances that are exempt from the obligation to register. This should remove uncertainties encountered by producers and users of digestate and by enforcement authorities.
The text now defines digestate as a residual semisolid or liquid material that has been sanitised and stabilised by a biological treatment process, of which the last step is an anaerobic digestion step, and where the inputs used in that process are biodegradable materials originating only from non-hazardous source segregated materials, such as food waste, manure and energy crops.
EU fertilising products Regulation has entered into force
The new EU fertiliser Regulation entered into force on 15 July and will apply in full from 16 July 2022. The Regulation will facilitate the access of organic and waste-based fertilisers to the EU Single Market, thus opening up possibilities for a new range of bio-based fertilisers and products.
The conclusions of the STRUBIAS technical working group on nutrient recovery should be published soon and, in all likelihood, these materials will be added to the Regulation’s annexes at a later date.
Until now, only non-organic fertilisers could be freely traded across the EU. According to estimates, if more bio-waste was recycled, it could replace up to 30 % of non-organic fertilisers and considerably reduce EU dependence on fertiliser imports.
The EBA has been actively involved in the discussions and the Technical Working Group preparing the new Regulation, which will enable the commercialisation of digestate and fermentation products obtained from biogas as fertilisers. In October 2018, the EBA and other EU organisations addressed a joint letter to the EU representatives involved in the development of the new Regulation urging them to finalise the trialogue negotiations.
The text is available in all official languages: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2019:170:TOC
SA BREF kick-off meeting
The EBA was invited by the European Commission to share its expertise at the kick-off meeting to the Slaughterhouses and Animals By-products Industries BREF (expert group) which was held in Seville from the 25th to the 28th of June 2019.
The preliminary conclusions of the Technical Working Group are looking positive as it was agreed that composting and anaerobic digestion would fall under the scope of the SA BREF only when these activities are directly associated with the Slaughterhouses and Animals By-products Industries installation. In other words, the SA BREF aims to target specific feedstocks for activities that compost or digest these materials on-site. De facto, this would exclude most anaerobic digestion and composting plants. These would fall under the WT BREF, which already covers anaerobic digestion and composting of more conventional feedstocks.
EU countries are required to develop integrated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) that cover the five dimensions of the energy union for the period 2021 to 2030 (and every subsequent ten year period). Member states must provide their documents next December, but they have already submitted a draft version to the European Commission. The EU executive, in charge of monitoring the development of the national plans, has shared some concerns on the ambition of the reports received so far.
According to the findings of the European Commission, the submitted drafts fall short both in terms of renewables and energy efficiency contributions in reaching the EU’s overall climate and energy goals. Most of them stay too vague with regard to concrete policies and measures.
The European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF), of which EBA is a member, has informed the leadership of the EU Commission with direct letters on its worry that the upcoming draft for a new Renewable Directive beyond 2020 and the related Impact Assessment may miss out on crucial points. EREF fears that there are several major points which are in danger of being left out in the new RES Directive.
“The ambition of some of the NECPs could be enhanced with better recognition of the role of green gas in reducing emissions and increasing the share of renewable energy. We must make sure that all Member States, with their specific resources and contexts, provide a significant contribution to achieve EU climate targets.” explained Susanna Pflüger, Secretary General of the EBA.
Check National Energy and Climate Plans
Read EREF’s press release on the Commission reactions
The biogas sector is looking ahead, in spite of a number of challenges it is facing. The time at which a decision must be made is drawing nearer for many existing biogas plants: continue or phase out?
This 5th annual two-day conference will once again provide a senior level platform and bring together senior executives & experts from the entire value chain including power producers, technology providers, agricultural sector, food and beverage industry, waste industry and leading technology and solution providers.
The International Biogas Congress & Expo aims to bring together leading producers, suppliers, regulators and other engaged organisations over a two day period. High-level speakers, experts in their field, will address a range of topical issues relating to the biogas sector.
Green Gas Poland is an international conference of biogas and biomethane producers, which is a new, extended formula of the Biogas Forum, organized in the years 2013-2017 by the Union of Producers and Employers of Biogas Industry.
After 2 successful trainings in 2017 and 2018, this year in cooperation with the Austrian Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism we have again prepared a unique program demonstrating best practice features of biowaste recycling with five distinct elements for individual benefit and professional learning.
Op 5 september 2019 organiseert Biogas-E het inmiddels 6de Vlaams Vergistingsforum in de gebouwen van Fluvius te Leuven.
The largest international trade show solely dedicated to anaerobic digestion and biogas.
À l’occasion de son Assemblée générale qui se déroulera le 20 juin, ValBiom a le plaisir de vous inviter à trois exposés sur le gaz renouvelable, une des clés pour une transition réussie
Join the largest international trade show dedicated solely to anaerobic digestion and biogas. The UK AD and World Biogas Expo 2019 offers a unique combination of industry insight, innovation and investment opportunities for both the UK and international markets.
Register your free ticket today!
NEW in 2019!
Along with 200+ exhibitors, this year’s event will feature five themed theatres: Circular Cities Theatre, Future Farming Theatre, Food Waste and Water Theatre, Innovation Hub, The Engine Room.
Learn the latest in market news, including policy and regulations, as well as discover global trends, developments and success stories.
Now co-located with the World Biogas Summit, the global thought leadership forum on anaerobic digestion and biogas. Discussions with leading figures in sustainable development will centre around the industry’s contribution to tackling climate change and meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Register here for your free delegate pass!
The European biogas market is set to witness strong growth on account of growing focus toward decarbonizing the energy sector supported by a multitude of legislative schemes and policies. Increased production and use of biogas to support the circular economy and renewable energy mix will stimulate the industry growth in the region.
According to recent report published by Global Market Insights, Inc. says Europe Biogas Market is expected to surpass USD 6 Billion by 2025.
The World Biogas Association estimates that by 2020, the biogas sector in the Netherlands has the potential to produce 1.2 billion m3 of biogas or 0.75 billion m3 of biomethane, increasing to 3.7 billion and 2.2 billion m3 respectively by 2030 (Green Gas Forum, 2014). Significant growth is expected in biogas from manure, sewage sludge, grass and seaweed.
In the light of this, ACI’s 5th edition of Future of Biogas Europe will be taking place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on 13th & 14th November 2019. Join the conference in Amsterdam to discuss the latest challenges and developments making an impact on the biogas industry and benefit from excellent networking opportunities.
For more Details on Sessions & Topics, please View Agenda: https://www.wplgroup.com/aci/future-of-biogas-europe-agenda/
EBA Members are entitled to a special discount on registration – to claim please contact Mado Lampropoulou onMLampropoulou@acieu.net or +44 (0) 203 141 0607
More information here
More information here
6th International Conference on Renewable Energy Gas Technology, REGATEC 2019 in collaboration with LFG Baltic, took place 20-21 May 2019 at Scandic Triangeln in Malmö, SWEDEN.
60+ oral and visual presentations by leading experts together with the exhibition and the Network Plus made REGATEC 2019 a vibrant hotspot for the renewable methane community.
Following the success of IMMC 2017, where over 100 industrial stakeholders, academics and regulators joined from all over the world to discuss the increasing need and growing capabilities to measure and reduce industrial methane emissions, we are pleased to announce IMMC 2019.
Methane Conference 2019Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and has a significant impact on global climate change. However, the persistence of methane in the atmosphere is much shorter than carbon dioxide, so initiatives to lower methane emissions are likely to be effective more quickly. It is therefore vital that methane emissions are reduced in the near-term, facilitated by accurate and reliable measurements. However, it can be challenging for industry to keep pace with evolving regulations and increasingly sophisticated techniques available to industry to monitor emissions.
The conference with company exhibition expects around 150 international participants and offers you an ideal opportunity for a knowledge exchange.
Achieve international recognition and reach the most niche-relevant contacts during this event.
Découvrez les dernières avancées de l’autre côté de la frontière linguistique : injection de biométhane, production de bioCNG, valorisation du digestat !
Une semaine d’échanges entre la Flandre et la Wallonie : partage des connaissances et des bonnes pratiques pour le développement de la biométhanisation en Belgique.
The H2020 project SYSTEMIC is looking for information about digestate treatment for compiling a database. The information in this database will be used to prepare a calculaion tool that provides the cost-benefit analysis for existing technologies. The calculation tool will be made publicly available after the project (2021).
By completing this survey, you can win an invitation (hotel costs and dinner included) to one of the SYSTEMIC Living Lab meetings in 2019-2021. During this meeting, all operators of the European biogas plants in the SYSTEMIC project will be invited (5 demo installations, 10 outreach locations and interested associated plant operators).
The Living Lab meeting gives a unique insight into the progress of the project, offers network moments with biogas plant operators all over Europe and scientists and includes a visit to one of our demo installations or outreach locations.
It is possible to fill in the survey in Dutch, English, German, French, Spanish and Italian. Please complete the survey as completely and correctly as possible. Your anonymity is secured! Thanks in advance for helping this research initiative.
The biogas industry works intensively on technological improvements including biological additives, energy efficiency, new feedstocks, plant building and process efficiency. In addition, it is constantly developing towards new markets beyond the borders of EU-28. These Success Stories have been written in close collaboration with our Company Members to show how such innovations are implemented.
As every year, we have been preparing the new edition of these two important publications that provide updated data on biogas in Europe and positive stories about the last biogas developments.
The EBA Statistical Report has become an important point of reference for the European biogas and biomethane sectors, consulted by EU institutions and by numerous industrial stakeholders worldwide.
Every year, the report includes new features and developments. For the 2018 edition, a European Overview was published at Christmas and extensive analyses in form of country profiles will be available at the end of this month. This edition includes newly developed European maps and per capita analyses that present the national markets in a new and unique light. In addition, there will be 25 Country Profiles, 2 more than last year. The full version of this 8th edition counts with more than 100 pages of data and statistics on biogas and biomethane in Europe.
This new structure allows for 2 different versions of the report:
- European overview: 200€
- Full report (European overview + country profiles): 400€
The full version of the report is available for members free of charge! Non-members who want to acquire this publication can contact Margherita Genua: genua@european-biogas.eu
The collection of this data would never have been possible without the contribution of national associations and the support of the companies who sponsored this publication: ETW, Streisal, DSM, BTS, SHV Energy, YARA, GRDF and DMT.
Overview on EBA activities during the past year.
Sessions will discuss the contribution of AD and biogas across many sectors (waste, energy, transport, agriculture, water and more..) and how to stimulate growth through policy, finance, innovation and public engagement.
Leading figures and expert speakers in sustainable development across multiple fields will provide invaluable insights into the industry’s potential to address global challenges and how to realise it.
Terms of Reference for ECN / EBA ‘EU policy officer’
Founded in October 2002, the European Compost Network (ECN) is the leading European membership organisation promoting sustainable recycling practices in composting, anaerobic digestion and other biological treatment processes of organic resources. ECN has 61 members, comprising of industry organisations, private companies, NGOs, research institutes and consultancy firms across Europe. ECN represents approx. 4.500 biological waste treatments plants (composting and anaerobic digestion) with a treatment capacity over 45 million tonnes of biowaste per year. ECN’s office is based in Bochum, Germany.
Founded in February 2009, the European Biogas Association (EBA) is the leading European association in the field of biogas and biomethane production covering the anaerobic digestion, gasification and power-to-gas industries. Committed to the active promotion of the deployment of sustainable biogas, biomethane and digestate production and use throughout Europe, EBA has created a wide network of established national organisations, scientific institutes and companies. In 2019, the association counts more than 100 members from all over Europe and has established co-operation with biogas associations from outside Europe.
ECN and EBA wishes to strengthen their advocacy activities at the European level and their expertise on political topics around nutrients recycling and circular bio-economy. To lead this, ECN and EBA are looking for a shared EU policy officer.
Main responsibilities
- Raise the profile of the bio-waste industry and of ECN and EBA in Europe, especially the role in the circular economy;
- Identify and build relationships with relevant key EU decision makers;
- Represent and promote ECN and EBA, in agreement and cooperation with ECN’s Executive Director and EBA’s Secretary General, with external partners and networks in the EU, particularly in Brussels;
- Following EU media and developing media contacts;
- Drafting and editing policy papers, presentations and documents for Board meetings;
- Support the Boards of the associations, ECN’s Executive Director and EBA’s Secretary General in defining their lobby strategies & messages, and in setting priorities;
Specific responsibilities in 2019
The EU Policy Officer will lead the advocacy efforts on environmental and agricultural policies for EBA and ECN with regard to
- Achieving a favourable position for compost and digestate in the implementation and delecated acts of the EU Fertilising Product Regulation;
- Achieving a favourable position of compost and digestate in the review of the Common Agricultural Policy by respecting the value of organic matter and nutrient availability of recycled organic resources.
- Achieving a favourable position of compost and digestate in the EU Nitrates Directive.
In case of ECN, the EU policy officer will lead the advocacy efforts on
- Supporting the development of a European Directive on Soil by initiating a soil organic matter alliance ‘SOS’ (Save Organic Matter in Soils).
- Supporting the implementation of separate collection and biological treatment of bio-waste in the member states as laid down in the circular economy package/waste framework directive (adopted on 4 July 2018).
In case of EBA,the EU Policy Officer will lead the advocacy efforts on
- Achieving a favourable position for biogas and digestate in the Best Available Techniques (BREFs),
- Achieving a favourable position for agricultural by-products in environmental and agricultural policies.
The EU Policy Officer will be working in the EBA office in Brussels, in a small international team. He/she will work closely together with technical experts specialised in nutrients recycling and with the both directors of EBA/ECN (Secretary General of EBA/Executive Director of ECN). He/she would liaise directly with EBA’s and ECN’s members, help to organise events and write occasional press articles.
Profile of the candidate
- Demonstrable working experience in undertaking international level advocacy, media and communications in a relevant field, in Brussels and in the European region;
- Active relevant policy and technical networks in EU institutions;
- Thorough knowledge of EU formal and informal decision making processes;
- An excellent command of written and spoken English. Skills in one or more additional European languages (preferably French or German) would be favourable;
- Familiarity and interest in issues related to biological treatment of organic materials (agricultural residues and bio-waste), application of compost and digestate-based products, agriculture and soil management, circular economy and resource management,
- Based in Brussels, prepared to travel occasionally within Europe.
How to apply
Send your application, including a CV (no europass format!) and a motivation letter, to ecn-eba-recruit@european-biogas.eu by 24 April 2019
More information on biogasitaly.com
Research and Innovation are essential to boost positive developments for our environment and our society. This activity is even more rewarding when it provides benefits for vulnerable people. Our member, the BOKU University in Austria, has been involved in a research project for a very good cause: provide humanitarian aid by managing faecal sludge in emergency operations to protect the affected population and environment. Last March, these efforts were rewarded with the Austrian “Neptun Wasserpreis” (water prize).
Improving sanitary conditions in situations of emergency: a humanitarian concern
After the earthquake and the subsequent Cholera outbreak in Haiti 2010 Faecal Sludge Management in emergency operations has shifted into the focus of humanitarian aid. In faecal sludge (on site collection and transport to treatment plant), as in wastewater treatment process and effluent quality control, is highly important to safeguard the environment and the population. This is especially true in disaster response situations and in refugee camps. Due to high population densities and the general vulnerability of the affected population.
Developing and testing of the lab prototype: Malawi
The development of the Faecal Sludge Field Lab (FSFL) was started in 2017 by the Microbial Sludge Quality (MSQ) project, funded under the Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF). The prototype was developed at the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences of Vienna (BOKU), in cooperation with the Austrian Red Cross, Waste COOP and Butyl Products LTD. The prototype included all equipment and supplies for the analysis of 100 samples of the most important process control parameters (COD, TS, nitrogen species, biogas potential, etc..) and public health parameters (faecal indicator organism and helminth eggs). The whole lab, including support equipment like a photovoltaic panel, was field tested in Blantyre, Malawi, where several faecal sludge treatment plants were monitored. The prototype set up at the local project partner is still being used as environmental analysis lab.
New labs in Uganda and Bangladesh
In 2018, a new lad unit was sent to the Ugandan Red Cross Society in the framework of the FAST project. In addition, a field school was organised to train 20 lab techs of the Sub Saharan Red Cross Societies on the operation of the lab. This lab is now placed in Kampala to provide service for emergency situations and development cooperation projects. Within the same project, a scientific paper was published describing the development of the field lab.
By the end of 2018, another FSFL was dispatched to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the two IFRC faecal sludge treatment plants in operation in the camp. Since 2017, more than 700,000 people from Rhakine state fled violence and settled down in the Kutupalong-Balukhali extension site near Cox`s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Initially, pit latrines were constructed as main containment/sanitation system, but this approach towards sanitation proved challenging in the complicated humanitarian context. The clayish ground, high population density and positioning of the latrines within flood plains lead to latrine desludging and set up of faecal sludge treatment plants for safe disposal. By April 2019 the field lab has widened its operation to start monitoring faecal sludge treatment plants of other actors.
Currently, the Austrian Red Cross has started a cooperation with EAWAG for the continuous improvement of the Faecal Sludge Field Lab.
During the coming months, EBA will be working on its policy strategy for the next years and determining its goals in view of the European elections of 26 May and the consequent new EU mandate. Until now, the first quarter of 2019 has brought intense policy-discussions before the last plenary session of the current mandate taking place this week in Strasbourg puts the next policy decisions on stand-by until the new Parliament starts its political activities in July. We will have to wait a bit more, until the last quarter of this year, to know the names of the new Commissioners and the results of the Brexit negotiations after the last extension granted by the EU.
Against this background of political changes, lively discussions have been fuelling the activity of the European capital to determine also the role of gas in the future EU energy mix. EBA is actively working to align its priorities and actions with different partner organisations and discuss its own positioning with members in the recently started working group ‘Future of Gas’.
New transport policies are also being introduced and old ones are reviewed. The Clean Vehicles Directive has been amended and new CO2 standards for Light-Duty Vehicles introduced. The Directive on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure (DAFI) is entering the review process and EBA is providing its input through the European Commission’s expert group ‘Sustainable Transport Forum’. In addition, we have also participated in the Commission’s public consultation on the DAFI calling for EU-wide targets for biomethane infrastructure and stronger national strategies.
EBA keeps advocating circular economy through for the use of digestate as bio-fertiliser in the agricultural sector. This work has ended-up with a rather positive outcome, as the new Fertiliser Regulation has been agreed on by the EU institutions and digestate will finally be included in the Annex V of REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals). Digestate products will therefore be exempted from the REACH registration requirements.
Many other policy discussions are still going on concerning the implementation of RED II, the Sector Coupling of Gas and Electricity or and the development of support schemes for biogas/biomethane. EBA will continue its intense work to ensure favourable consideration of biogas and biomethane in all EU policies relevant for our sector.
Questions on EBA’s policy activities?
- EBA members: contact pfluger@european-biogas.eu
- Not an EBA member: join EBA
The EBA was very happy to be in Thuin, on Feb. 28th, for the inauguration of SEBIGAS’ successful new venture into the Belgian biogas market in collaboration with Walvert, a local Walloon company with over 10 years’ experience in anaerobic digestion in the agricultural sector. Annually, the plant will process approximately 12,000 tonnes of agricultural by-products to produce 5000 MWh of electricity (which corresponds to the consumption of about 1500 households) and will provide an equal amount of thermal energy for district heating.
The digested organic matter includes, among others, livestock manure, maize silage and crop residues. The produced digestate will be returned to local fields in the form of liquid and solid fractions, acting as both fertiliser and soil improver.
This project has been running since January 2019 and has brought together private actors, policymakers, local citizens and farmers… successfully demonstrating that very concrete steps can be taken at a local level towards a sustainable future and a local bioeconomy.
More than 220 exhibitors and brands, 4000 professionals expected!
Co-organized by GL events Exhibitions and the Club Biogaz ATEE, the 8th edition of Expobiogaz, will take place on June 12 & 13 2019 in Lille Grand Palais, France.
In 2019, Expobiogaz evolves to become the trade show dedicated to renewable gas, a leading event in France to discover a full range of renewable gas production solutions and value channels: anaerobic digestion, power-to-gas, pyrogasification, injection, combined heat & power, sustainable mobility
At the core of a buoyant region in renewable gas resources, Expobiogaz stays as close as possible to the markets and project initiators, bringing business and development opportunities your way on a regional, national and international scale.
With several in-show events and highlights, Expobiogaz offers professionals the opportunity to learn and stay informed:
- 2 days of themed conferences, organized by Club Biogaz ATEE and Biogaz Vallée®
- Expobiogaz Innovation Award
- Agricultural village, dedicated to farm managers, breeders…
- 2 methanation units visits, on the eve of the exhibition
- Talent Forum, dedicated to recruitment and training
- Business Meetings, the business appointments service
- The National Renewable Gas Assembly, run by the Renewable Energy Syndicate
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A new biogas plant will be built at the Wiener Neustädter Abfallbehandlungsanlage, in Austria. The new plant, which will go into full operation in 2020, will produce 1,200 MWh of electricity and 1,500 MWh of heat per year for the self-generated power of the Wiener Neustadt waste treatment plant. This will help saving 700 tons of CO2 per year.
The positive news were celebrated with a ground-breaking ceremony last 22 February. In the future, a dry fermenter plant from Pöttinger will be installed upstream of composting. In the so-called 3-A process (Aerobic Anaerobic Aerobic), up to 120m³ biogas with 60% methane content is to be produced from 1t substrate within 21 days.
Mayor Klaus Schneeberger speaks of a deliberate decision to promote renewable energy: “With the new biogas plant in waste management, we are making two important steps forward: on the one hand, the waste is recycled even better than before and on the other hand, we generate green electricity and ecologically sound heat , which in turn corresponds to the idea of climate protection. “
As every year, we have been preparing the new edition of these two important publications that provide updated data on biogas in Europe and positive stories about the last biogas developments.
Statistical report
The EBA Statistical Report has become an important point of reference for the European biogas and biomethane sectors, consulted by EU institutions and by numerous industrial stakeholders worldwide.
Every year, the report includes new features and developments. For the 2018 edition, a European Overview was published at Christmas and extensive analyses in form of country profiles will be available at the end of this month. This edition includes newly developed European maps and per capita analyses that present the national markets in a new and unique light. In addition, there will be 25 Country Profiles, 2 more than last year. The full version of this 8th edition counts with more than 100 pages of data and statistics on biogas and biomethane in Europe.
This new structure allows for 2 different versions of the report:
- European overview: 200€
- Full report (European overview + country profiles): 400€
The full version of the report is available for members free of charge! Non-members who want to acquire this publication can contact Margherita Genua: genua@european-biogas.eu
The collection of this data would never have been possible without the contribution of national associations and the support of the companies who sponsored this publication: ETW, Streisal, DSM, BTS, SHV Energy, YARA, GRDF and DMT.
Success Stories
The EBA Success Stories is another of the publications produced in-house by the EBA Secretariat. In order to promote the positive developments of biogas and biomethane, this publication showcases positive stories within our sector provided by EBA members.
The edition of this year concentrates in the most recent developments and includes the implementation of biogas plants, the development of new tools and technologies and inspiring examples on different options of feedstock uses.
Each case includes a description of the project, identifies the social, economic and technological impact of each initiative and includes a table with technical data. In addition, readers can discover in detail the activities performed for each case and the results obtained.
The success stories are available for free on the EBA website: ONLINE VERSION
The new President was elected yesterday during the General Assembly of the EBA and will be in charge for the association for the next 3 years. The composition of a new Board of Directors was also submitted to a vote. The elected candidates will support the EBA in highlighting the current potential of biogas and biomethane in the transition towards decarbonisation and the development of a truly circular economy.
Harm Grobrügge has worked in the biogas sector for the past 36 years and he has been Vice-President of the EBA since the association was founded in 2009. He has also been actively involved in the German Biogas Association (Fachverband Biogas) since 1985, holding different responsibilities: Regional spokesman, Board Member, representative within the BEE (German Renewable Energy Federation) and associate to Clearingstelle-EEG. In addition to this, Mr Grobrügge operates his family’s farm in Northern Germany with an on-farm biogas plant installed in 1983. He succeeds in the role of President Dr. Jan Štambaský, from Czech Republic, who has stepped down after 5 years in this position.
The newly appointed President will be supported by an Executive Board which includes both former members and new faces from different EU countries. The two new EBA Vice-Presidents have been closely involved in EBA activities during the past years: Piero Gattoni (Italian Biogas Association) and Michael Niederbacher (BTS Biogas, Italy), who will assume this position as chairman of the Company Advisory Council (CAC). Philipp Lukas (REA, UK), Anders Matthiasson (Swedish Gas Association), and the chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAC), Erik Meers (Biogas-E, Belgium), have also renewed their commitment as Board Members to support EBA during the next mandate. The Executive Board will count as well on other representatives of national associations: Frederik Gast (VGGP, Netherlands), Sylwia Koch-Kopyszko (UPEBI – Polish Biogas Association), PJ McCarthy (Renewable Gas Forum, Ireland) and Niels Peters (Dutch Biogas Association, Netherlands).
The President recalled the “great potential of biogas and biomethane to provide flexible renewable energy for EU industries and citizens and decarbonise the energy sectors, helping to achieve EU energy and climate targets. In the coming years, we also expect the biomethane production to skyrocket in several European countries contributing to the greening of the European gas grid”, Mr Grobrügge explained. “I would like to warmly thank the previous President Jan Štambaský and the outgoing Board Members for their dedication and active involvement in EBA activities. Building on this legacy, I will continue working closely with EBA members and other stakeholders to promote a favourable legal framework and support the industry through continuous R&I developments which reflect the positive contribution of our sector to the sustainable development of European societies.”
The role of the former President and members of the Executive Board during the past years has been essential to guarantee the increasing awareness of renewable gases’ positive role in Europe the active involvement of the association in achieving positive legislative and research developments for the sector. The new appointments will take up the torch to ensure a promising future for the biogas and biomethane sectors in the coming years with the support of the EBA members.
Unveiling the benefits of gas in transport by presenting our vision and illustrating our EU roadmap for a sustainable future through g-mobility.
Climate change and air quality are among the greatest challenges in our society. The transport sector has to go through a deep transformation in the next decades. Natural gas and especially renewable gas represent a concrete answer to these challenges: it helps to accelerate the circular economy model, where sustainable biomass is recycled and transformed into clean transportation fuel.
| The EBA – GIE Biomethane Map locates and lists all known biomethane installations running in Europe. According to the data set of Q1 of 2017, 500 biomethane installations were registered. This map is the first of its kind, with first-hand information provided by European Biogas Association(EBA) member organisations – national biogas associations, energy agencies and companies. |
Biogas is a gas mixture composed mainly of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Biogas production plants can process a wide range of organic materials, including sewage sludge, animal and vegetable byproducts, household biowaste and primary or secondary crops. In biomethane production plants, the share of methane (CH4) in biogas is increased to provide “biomethane”, a product of natural gas grade, with the purpose to be injected into the gas grid and used for any known gas end use such as heating and cooling or transport.
The map provides specific details about each biomethane plant and the surrounding gas grid, including:
- Facility number listing all European biomethane plants
- Location of the biomethane plant (town and country)
- Feed-in capacity of biomethane (natural gas grade) (m3/h)
- Main substrate (input material)
- Upgrading process: technology for upgrading biogas to biomethane of natural gas grade
- Year of start of operation
- Connection to the gas grid
- Cross-border interconnection points of the gas grid
- Pipelines of the gas grid
Furthermore, the map brings additional data about the European biomethane market evolution, distribution of plants in European countries, and forecasts of natural gas and biomethane indigenous production in Europe until 2037.
Find the leading companies in biogas technology and their services:
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