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).
RSS
The Council of Ministers adopted a draft amendment to the RES Act extending the auction system to the end of 2027 and FIT/FIP to mid-2024, and raising the licence threshold from 0.5 to 1 MW.
The Estonian scheme gives a premium of up to €53.7/MWh for 12 years. It declines when the market price exceeds €39.3/MWh and disappears at €93/MWh. Since 2019, auctions have competed for support for biogas plants.
The Romanian green certificate system (Law 220/2008) rewards electricity from biomass and biogas. The certificate price corridor is EUR 29.4–35, and the scheme has been closed to new participants since 2017.
Directive 2018/2001 requires renewable energy support to be market-based rather than fixed tariffs. It also prohibits retroactive changes and allows national support schemes to be opened to generators from other countries.
Animal by-products fall into three risk categories. We explain what belongs to categories 1, 2 and 3 and what may be done with them in a biogas or composting plant.
Presidential Decision No. 3453 of 30 January 2021 converted Turkish YEKDEM support into lira: 0.54 TL/kWh for biogas and 0.32 TL/kWh for landfill gas, with a cap in US cents.
The Act on the promotion of the hydrogen economy and hydrogen safety entered into force on 5 February 2021 and established a committee chaired by the prime minister.
On 2 February 2021, the Council of Ministers adopted PEP2040: three pillars, a target of at least 23% RES in 2030, a falling share of coal in electricity generation, and the development of offshore wind, photovoltaics and nuclear power.
In December 2020 Australia adopted the act on recycling and waste reduction, which introduces a phased waste export ban: glass from 1 January 2021, then plastics, tyres and paper.
Article 29 of RED II sets out which biogas plants must demonstrate the sustainable origin of substrates and emission reductions. We explain capacity thresholds, land criteria, and the role of the mass balance and the audit.
The NDRC and NEA announced a list of 77 biomass energy projects for 2020 with central support: 1.714 GW, a limit of 1.5 billion yuan. Biogas accounts for 13 projects and 21 MW.
The Swedish electricity certificate system has operated since 2003 (jointly with Norway since 2012). The government decided to shorten it to 2035 (instead of 2045) and to close it to installations commissioned after 2021.
Biogas and biomethane count as renewable under RED II only once they meet a GHG emission reduction threshold: 65% in transport or 70–80% in energy. We explain the thresholds, calculation methods and mistakes.
Law No. 202 of 2020 regulates the handling of hazardous and municipal waste in Egypt, introduces licences and creates the Waste Management Regulatory Authority. It is linked to the waste-to-energy tariff.
After the memorandum of 10 June 2020 and Law 810-IX, Ukraine's green tariff for biogas and biomass applies to installations commissioned before 1 January 2023. The industry is protesting.
On 2 September 2020 the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers adopted two regulations replacing the 2009 and 2010 rules on mandatory energy purchase (obligātais iepirkums). From 2021 cogeneration and renewables are subject to uniform efficiency requirements.
The 2020 nitrates programme applies nationwide: a limit of 170 kg N/ha from natural fertilisers, application dates, tanks for 6 and 5 months, and documentation. What does this mean for digestate?
The President signed an amendment to the Act on Renewable Energy Sources that broadens the definition of energy wood from 1 October 2020 to the end of 2021. The Sejm passed it with 232 votes, and the Senate wanted to reject it.
The European Commission approved Ireland's RESS scheme (SA.54683): strike-price auctions for 15 years, with an estimated budget of EUR 7.2–12.5 billion until 2025. For biogas this is a new mode after REFIT.
On 22 June 2020 Regulation (EU) 2020/852 was published, introducing a classification of environmentally sustainable activities and six environmental objectives.
Since the 2008 energy agreement, Denmark has paid a premium of 40.5 øre/kWh or a fixed price of 74.5 øre/kWh for electricity from biogas. In 2013 a value of 79.3 øre/kWh appeared in legislation.
The European Commission has approved the Danish scheme SA.55891: DKK 4.15 billion (about €550 million) for existing biomass power plants, with a premium of up to DKK 0.11/kWh, until the end of 2029.
On 29 April 2020 the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress adopted an amendment to the law on preventing solid waste pollution: waste sorting, higher fines, plastic restrictions.
Decision 08/2020/QD-TTg raises the Vietnamese biomass tariff: 7.03 USD cents/kWh for cogeneration and 8.47 cents for non-CHP sources, for 20 years from commissioning. It enters into force on 25 April 2020.
