Biogas: One of the key topics of the 26th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition - EUBCE 2018
14 May 2018 - 18 May 2018
Denmark
Perspectives for biogas in Europe
A recent study by the European Commission has examined the use of biogas – gas produced from organic waste – as an energy source in Europe, and has shown that due to successful policies in various Member States, EU-wide biogas production increased rapidly in recent years.
As the EU works towards its ambitious energy and climate targets for 2020 and 2030, biogas can be a flexible and sustainable alternative source of energy, supporting energy security and greenhouse gas emission reduction in electricity, heating and transport. However, in some EU countries the absence of policies promoting biogas means that currently its full potential is not being used.
On the other hand, positive news in the field of biomethane production through biogas upgrading has been recently reported, such as the approval by the European Commission under EU state aid rules of an Italian support scheme for the production and distribution of advanced biofuels, including advanced biomethane. The measure will contribute to reaching EU energy and climate change goals while limiting distortions of competition.
In addition, as reported by the Biogas Barometer 2017, each of the European countries under study has at least one of the four aid mechanisms specific to biomethane injection: feed-in tariffs dedicated to biomethane injection, grid injection priority, grants for creating installations, and guarantees of origin or renewable gas quotas. These mechanisms are geared to achieving the European or national RES targets.
How biogas is moving forward in Denmark
The production of biogas is rapidly increasing in Denmark. Biogas is promoted through subsidies according to its use. To date the majority of the produced biogas is used in electricity production. In the future it is expected that a greater share of the produced biogas will be upgraded and delivered to the natural gas grid. Biogas must be upgraded to biomethane before injected into the Danish gas transmission system and traded on the conventional gas market.
In terms of biogas utilisation, Denmark has a strong infrastructure for utilising biomass in biogas plants. The first upgraded biogas from slurry was injected into Danish natural gas grid in January 2014. The goal over the next 3-5 years is to steadily increase injection of upgraded biogas into the natural gas grid, which is able to reach 250,000 natural gas consumers. Biogas is currently promoted through public subsidies according to its use.
Biogas: One of the key topics of EUBCE 2018
More than 80 contributions have been submitted to the topic "Anaerobic digestion for biogas production and biogas upgrading" and many others directly refer to biogas and biomethane. Thanks to this great response, two visual sessions on Wednesday 16th May will address Anaerobic digestion and biogas production and Biogas treatment and upgrading discussing the optimisation of biogas processes by feedstock selection, technologies design and gas production, evaluating results of different pilot and laboratory tests and samples analysis, including developments for optimising processes for biogas treatment and upgrading to methane production.
Three oral sessions on Thursday 17th May will focus on Techno-economic evaluation of small-scale systems and biogas upgrading, Biogas feedstocks and pretreatment technologies and Biomethanation, Thermal methanation and microbial power to gas. These sessions cover different approaches for small-scale systems in order to evaluate techno-economical aspects of biogas production process, assess the challenges of processing various feedstocks in anaerobic digestion, taking into consideration a series of food industry wastes and by-products, agricultural residues and microbial populations, and to present an outlook on the latest trends in technologies for converting and upgrading biomass and derived gas into methane.
More information: www.eubce.com
A recent study by the European Commission has examined the use of biogas – gas produced from organic waste – as an energy source in Europe, and has shown that due to successful policies in various Member States, EU-wide biogas production increased rapidly in recent years.
As the EU works towards its ambitious energy and climate targets for 2020 and 2030, biogas can be a flexible and sustainable alternative source of energy, supporting energy security and greenhouse gas emission reduction in electricity, heating and transport. However, in some EU countries the absence of policies promoting biogas means that currently its full potential is not being used.
On the other hand, positive news in the field of biomethane production through biogas upgrading has been recently reported, such as the approval by the European Commission under EU state aid rules of an Italian support scheme for the production and distribution of advanced biofuels, including advanced biomethane. The measure will contribute to reaching EU energy and climate change goals while limiting distortions of competition.
In addition, as reported by the Biogas Barometer 2017, each of the European countries under study has at least one of the four aid mechanisms specific to biomethane injection: feed-in tariffs dedicated to biomethane injection, grid injection priority, grants for creating installations, and guarantees of origin or renewable gas quotas. These mechanisms are geared to achieving the European or national RES targets.
How biogas is moving forward in Denmark
The production of biogas is rapidly increasing in Denmark. Biogas is promoted through subsidies according to its use. To date the majority of the produced biogas is used in electricity production. In the future it is expected that a greater share of the produced biogas will be upgraded and delivered to the natural gas grid. Biogas must be upgraded to biomethane before injected into the Danish gas transmission system and traded on the conventional gas market.
In terms of biogas utilisation, Denmark has a strong infrastructure for utilising biomass in biogas plants. The first upgraded biogas from slurry was injected into Danish natural gas grid in January 2014. The goal over the next 3-5 years is to steadily increase injection of upgraded biogas into the natural gas grid, which is able to reach 250,000 natural gas consumers. Biogas is currently promoted through public subsidies according to its use.
Biogas: One of the key topics of EUBCE 2018
More than 80 contributions have been submitted to the topic "Anaerobic digestion for biogas production and biogas upgrading" and many others directly refer to biogas and biomethane. Thanks to this great response, two visual sessions on Wednesday 16th May will address Anaerobic digestion and biogas production and Biogas treatment and upgrading discussing the optimisation of biogas processes by feedstock selection, technologies design and gas production, evaluating results of different pilot and laboratory tests and samples analysis, including developments for optimising processes for biogas treatment and upgrading to methane production.
Three oral sessions on Thursday 17th May will focus on Techno-economic evaluation of small-scale systems and biogas upgrading, Biogas feedstocks and pretreatment technologies and Biomethanation, Thermal methanation and microbial power to gas. These sessions cover different approaches for small-scale systems in order to evaluate techno-economical aspects of biogas production process, assess the challenges of processing various feedstocks in anaerobic digestion, taking into consideration a series of food industry wastes and by-products, agricultural residues and microbial populations, and to present an outlook on the latest trends in technologies for converting and upgrading biomass and derived gas into methane.
More information: www.eubce.com
Keywords
biomass, biofuels, bioenergy