The biogas and biomethane market is shaped by EU rules (including the RED directives, the Methane Regulation and the EU ETS) and national ones (the Renewable Energy Sources Act, the Energy Law, the Waste Act).
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On 6 June 2023 the Japanese government adopted a revised Basic Hydrogen Strategy: a new target of about 12 million t of hydrogen per year by 2040 and about 15 trillion yen of investment over 15 years.
REFIT 3 paid for energy from anaerobic digestion from €104.3 to €156.5/MWh, depending on size and cogeneration. Today biogas installations can enter RESS auctions, but none has won so far.
How to enter an agricultural biogas plant in the KOWR register: who must register, what the application contains, what conditions must be met and what reports to submit after registration.
On 30 March 2023 the Australian parliament passed the Safeguard Mechanism reform: emissions limits for the largest facilities are to fall by default by 4.9% a year to 2029–30, and the new system is to operate from 1 July 2023.
On 30 March 2023 the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached an agreement on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive: a binding target of 42.5% in 2030 with the possibility of 45%, new targets for transport and industry, and rules for biomethane.
On 28 March 2023 the Council of the EU agreed a general approach to the decarbonised gas and hydrogen markets package. Parliament adopted its position on 15 March. The changes concern, among other things, connection and tariffs for renewable gases.
The Latvian mandatory purchase system was financed by the OIK component added to bills; it bought electricity from cogeneration and biogas, paid for through charges on bills. No new rights have been granted since 2012, and in December 2022 the government decided to cover the costs from the state budget.
At the start of 2023 an amendment to the Act on Biocomponents and Liquid Biofuels entered into force: minimum NCW fulfilment of 80%, a reduction factor of 0.82 and limits for biohydrocarbons and Annex 1 feedstocks.
In Ontario's FIT programme, farm biogas received up to 26.3 cents per kWh in 2016, and up to 25.8 cents in the final, fifth round in 2017. We compare the price schedules and describe the end of the programme.
The regulator ERC announced the FiT rules for 2022–2030 on 27 September 2022. Biogas from wastewater and waste receives 2.0724 baht/kWh and is given priority for grid connection.
On 14 September 2022 the European Parliament adopted its position on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive, backing a 45% target in 2030. The Council wants 40%. Trilogue negotiations, crucial for biomethane and bioenergy, are beginning.
The Act of 5 August 2022 introduces a plan for developing storage capacity, procedures for declaring emergency states and penalties for exceeding gas offtake restrictions. It enters into force on 1 September 2022.
How to store and apply digestate in line with the regulations: tank capacity, covering of lagoons, dates from the nitrates programme, distances from water and ways of reducing ammonia emissions.
In July 2022 the Philippines passed Republic Act 11898: large producers of plastic packaging must register EPR programmes and recover a rising percentage of packaging, from 20% in 2023 to 80% in 2028.
To sell digestate as an organic fertiliser, a permit from the Minister of Agriculture is needed. We describe the steps: testing, opinions of units, UPPZ documents, labelling, supervision and restrictions on use.
On 6 July 2022 the Clean Fuel Regulations (SOR/2022-140) were published in Canada Gazette Part II, creating a federal market for credits for low-carbon-intensity fuels.
On 6 July 2022 the European Parliament failed to secure the majority needed to reject the complementary delegated act to the taxonomy. Gas and nuclear may be classified as sustainable on a transitional basis, subject to conditions.
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/996 of 14 June 2022 sets the rules for verifying the RED II sustainability criteria: audit, voluntary schemes and mass balance.
On 27 June 2022 the Energy Council agreed a general approach on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The Council backed a 40% target for 2030, while the Commission and Parliament are heading towards 45%.
How Japan's FIT scheme worked for biogas from sewage sludge, manure and food waste: a rate of 39 yen/kWh, a 20-year purchase period and the move to FIP from April 2022.
The REPowerEU plan of 18 May 2022 proposes raising the EU renewables target to 45% in 2030, targets for hydrogen and faster permitting procedures. For biogas this is the regulatory environment for years to come.
ISCC EU and REDcert2 are two voluntary schemes recognised by the Commission for biomass and biomethane. We compare scope, audit, mass balance and selection criteria, without guessing at costs.
After 2022 Switzerland is replacing feed-in tariffs with investment contributions: 60% of costs for agricultural biogas plants, 40% for wood-based ones and 20% for landfill gas and wastewater treatment plants (ARA).
On 1 April 2022 the FIP premium system started in Japan — the generator sells energy on the market and receives a premium equal to the difference between the FIP price and the reference price.
