Ukraine “has potential to become EU’s primary biomethane supplier”

Ukraine has the potential to become the European Union's primary biomethane supplier, with a market share that could reach 20% in the coming years, according to the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine's' (BAU) chairman Georgii Geletukha.
As reported by the Odessa Journal, he told the Kyiv-held Ukrainian Investment Congress: "Ukraine has nearly ideal conditions for biomethane production. We have medium and large agricultural enterprises managing around 3,000 hectares of land. This allows for a stable supply of raw materials for biomethane plants from a single source.
"Additionally, Ukraine has a well-developed gas infrastructure, including distribution networks and a gas transportation system, with the highest gas network coverage density in all of Europe. Given our vast agricultural lands, we also have the largest resource base. This makes biomethane production a highly promising industry for us."
He further mentioned the EU's plans to produce and consume 35 billion cubic metres of biomethane by 2030. This is ambitious, because current production is 3 billion cubic metres. Current trends would suggest the bloc could increase production to 20 billion cubic metres within five years.
Geletukha explained that the slow development of the EU's biomethane market is primarily due to a lack of large, available agricultural land, limiting the ability to produce sufficient raw materials for processing.
"According to all forecasts, the EU will not be able to meet its 35 billion cubic metre target in time. Trends indicate they may reach around 20 billion cubic metres in the next five years. The European agricultural market is already in deficit, and this will likely continue until at least 2050. After 2030, the EU aims to expand its biomethane production and consumption to 100 billion cubic meters by 2050, but they will face the same challenge of insufficient raw materials," he said.
If Ukraine was already producing 15 billion cubic metres of biomethane annually, the EU would be eager to purchase the entire supply, he added.