Electricity from biogas in the EU: evolution, support measures and technology costs

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Maria del P Pablo-Romero

University of Seville, Spain

: Expert Opin Environ Biol

Abstract

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The EU (European Union) has assumed objectives for energy sustainability and the fight against climate change. In this sense, the generation of biogas allows contributions to the 2020 established targets. The EU is leader in the production of biogas, being the gross electricity production from biogas in the EU in 2014 equal to 57 022.0 GWh. Likewise, its estimated contribution to electricity generation for 2020 in the EU-28 represent 1.5% within the total energy mix. Measures implemented in the EU-28 to promote biogas are analyzed. Likewise, they are related to the country targets established in their National Renewable Energy Action Plans and to their technology costs. Currently, 19 countries of the EU-28 apply some measure of price and/or amount to promote the use of biogas. Of those, 14 use Fit-in tariffs, 6 Fit-in premiums and 1 uses tenders. The countries that do not use any of these measures generally have poor levels of growth of biogas, and are far from fulfilling their 2020 targets. It is observed a trend to reduce public support to promote biogas, linked to the reduction of the cost of this technology, and to the attempt to increasingly link it to the markets. However, excessive linking to the market hinders its development, putting the achievement of 2020 targets at risk, because it cannot be considered that the market is sufficiently mature. In addition, there is a trend seen in the design to limit support for the generation of biogas where certain materials are used for its generation, with the purpose of increasing GHG (Greenhouse Gas) savings.

Biography

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