Brussels, 17/10/2025 – Under the theme “Biogases: Leading globally, acting locally”, over 1,000 participants gathered at the third edition of the European Biomethane Week 2025 in Brussels, touching on a “very important subject at a very important time” as underlined by the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen in his opening statement. “Biomethane (…) provides clean energy to support the competitiveness of European industries and can strengthen our security and independence by enabling us to diversify our gas supplies with a homegrown alternative.”, he explained.

Echoing this message, Julijus Grubliauskas, Climate and Energy Security Officer at NATO’s Emerging Security Challenges Division, underscored the critical importance of homegrown energy production. “Europe has taken significant steps toward strengthening its energy security, but the current geopolitical landscape requires even greater foresight. (…) Energy is both a target and a key enabler of defence and security. We need to ensure strong local supply, reduce our reliance on Russian gas, and stay ahead in the global competition for supply chains.”

Beyond securing energy, biogases offer a cost-effective route for the defossilisation of multiple end-use sectors and industries, notably those that are difficult to electrify. Biogases leverage on existing gas infrastructure and represent the cheapest renewable gas solution available today. Daniel Mes, Member of the European Commission Task Force on the EU’s Future Competitiveness, stressed: “Europe is open for business for biomethane. But saying we are open for business is the easy part; the real task is to help build the business case. (…) Biomethane is one of the ventures we aim to advance through close cooperation with industry, as partnership will be key to delivering on the Clean Industrial Deal.”

From a financing perspective, Josep Oriol Bellot Miana, Senior Engineer at the European Investment Bank, reaffirmed the strong investment case for biogases: “By contributing to climate change and environmental objectives, biogases score 100% Climate Finance contribution.”

Biogases are also a key component of a balanced and resilient renewable energy mix. Dennis Hesseling, Head of Gas, Coal & Power Markets Division at the International Energy Agency, underlined the expected global growth of biogases in the coming years, with Europe leading production. “We are witnessing strong global growth in biogas, and Europe is at the forefront, thanks to supportive policies and a well-established ecosystem of companies that understand how to invest and make it work.”

Strategic cooperation between the EU, national governments, and industry is crucial to unlocking biomethane’s potential. Denmark’s success was spotlighted as a leading example. Lars Aagaard, Minister for Energy, Climate and Utilities in Denmark, explained: “We aim for a fully decarbonised gas network in Denmark, and we are making steady progress. In 2024, biogas accounted for around 40% of our system, the highest share across all European countries. This achievement has been possible because green gases have been politically prioritised for years.”

The Week concluded with a joint webinar on the sustainability of biogases co-hosted with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Group of Experts on Gas, a clear demonstration of the strategic importance of biogases on the global stage. Connie Miller, GBEP Deputy Coordinator at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), emphasised the interconnection between agriculture, energy security, and climate change. She noted that biogas from agrifood waste offers a practical solution to produce clean energy and valuable co-products while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

In a more pragmatic tone, reflecting on the current state of the sector, EBA CEO Harmen Dekker called for urgent action to address the challenges hindering biomethane growth in Europe in his closing remarks. “Despite Europe’s strong potential, growth is slowing down. Persistent barriers, including lengthy permitting or injection hurdles, limited cross-border trade, and lack of public understanding, are holding the sector back. To unlock its full potential, Europe needs long-term certainty, streamlined permits, broader public support, better network integration, and full valorisation of digestate and bio-CO₂, the co-products of biogas production” he recalled. The industry strands ready to work in this direction with all actors, policymakers, industries, civil society and communities, to drive resilient growth and ensure the sustainability of the sector.

Additional highlights

Winners EBA Awards Ceremony: Mats Eklund (Biogas Solutions Research Center), recipient of the Biogas Booster – Harm Grobrügge Award; CH4T, winner of the Biogas Problem-Solver Award; Simona Amerio recipient of the Biogas SheLeads Award.

Campaign Unlocking Europe’s Own Circular Source of Clean Energy, A specially engraved key carrying the work of the whole biogases value chain across Europe was handed off to Biljana Kulisic, as representative of the Directorate for Energy at the European Commission, during the opening ceremony, highlighting the collaborative effort needed to unlock the full potential of biogases in Europe’s energy transition.

Contacts

• Fanny Lamon, EBA Senior Communications Officer lamon@europeanbiogas.eu
• Angela Sainz Arnau, EBA Communications Director sainz@europeanbiogas.eu

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About the European Biomethane Week

The third edition of the European Biomethane Week took place from 13 to 16 October 2025 in Brussels. Organised by the European Biogas Association with the support of the European Commission and under the honorary patronage of Denmark, the event brought together key players in the biogas sector to highlight the vital role of biogases in Europe’s clean energy future. The week featured various activities, including the flagship EBA Conference.