IN LONDON: The European Commission has approved a €3.7 billion ($6.12 billion) Czech scheme to support the construction of biomethane production stations in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal.
Under the scheme, Czechia will be able to support the production of sustainable biomethane to be used in transport, heating, and industry. The scheme will run until 31 December 2030.
The scheme will also support new capacity in newly built biomethane stations and existing biogas stations that are converted into biomethane stations. The scheme will be open to biomethane producers holding a gas production licence in Czechia.
It is also expected to support installations with a total output of 350 million standard cubic metres of sustainable biomethane.
Sustainable biomethane production is the process of generating renewable natural gas by upgrading biogas, derived from anaerobic digestion of organic waste to high-purity methane.
According to the commission, there is a need to scale up biomethane by 2030, as it can play a key role towards achieving the EU’s clean energy objectives. It can also be used to diversify the EU’s gas supplies, phasing out Europe’s dependency on Russian fossil fuels and reducing the exposure of consumers to volatile natural gas prices.
The EU’s biomethane production, either as gas or its upgraded version, needs to reach 35 billion cubic metres annually by 2030 and the estimated investment need of the period amounts to €37 billion.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
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