Biogas sector is growing steadily in Europe, EBA says in new report

The European Biogas Association (EBA) has presented its sixth edition of its Statistical Report - the reference publication on the state of the art of biogas and biomethane in Europe.

The report reflects the steady growth in the biogas sector, with the number of biogas plants practically tripling during the past six years.

“There were 17,376 biogas plants and 459 biomethane plants in operation in Europe (in late 2015). Despite the headwind our industry faces, this again represents growth, illustrating the simple fact that the biogas industry is an indispensable part of European development” said EBA president Jan Stambasky.

The sector proves to remain in good shape: the number of biogas plants in Europe increased from 16,834 to 17,376 in 2015 (+3%). Some countries achieved significant increase such as the United Kingdom (77 additional plants, 17% growth), Belgium (20 additional plants, 11% growth) and the Netherlands (16 additional plants, 6% growth).

In terms of biogas production, national associations and third – party observers quantify the total amount of electricity produced from biogas at 60.6TWh, a number that corresponds to the annual consumption of 13.9 million European households.

A steady increase can be appreciated in the biomethane sector, with 92 new biogas upgrading units commissioned. Germany reaffirms itself as the leading country, with a total of 185 biomethane plants. A few countries followed, such as the UK (43 new plants), France (12 new plants), Switzerland (11 new plants), Germany (7 new plants) and Denmark (6 new plants).

The Statistical Report of the European Biogas Association includes in-depth chapter concerning the biogas and biomethane markets , European support schemes in force, the jobs and turnover in Europe, and a European policy outlook.

 Analyses include a European overview and the situation country by country. The report is freely available for members at the EBA website’s members’ area.