Clean Industrial Deal and the Affordable Energy Action Plan: the reaction of the biogas and bioenergy industry

On 26 February 2025 the European Commission presented the Clean Industrial Deal – a strategy combining climate goals with industrial competitiveness – and the accompanying Affordable Energy Action Plan (COM/2025/79). The documents focus on lowering energy prices for industry and households and on accelerating decarbonisation. The biogas industry received them with mixed feelings.

What is in the documents

The Affordable Energy Action Plan has four pillars and eight actions, including lowering energy costs, faster grid connections and better use of infrastructure. The Clean Industrial Deal sets out a path for energy-intensive industry, the development of clean technologies and the security of raw material supplies. In both documents the theme of electrification and renewable electricity dominates.

The industry's position

The European Biogas Association (EBA) welcomed the strategy but judged that it sets no clear pathway for biomethane. In its view, the plan concentrates too much on electrification and favours less competitive low-carbon gases. The association demanded faster growth of biomethane and the direction of part of the Deal's investment instruments to biogas and biomethane. Bioenergy Europe, representing the broader bioenergy sector, for its part called for the role of bioenergy to be recognised in the strategy.

Why this matters

In the chemical, paper and glass industries, and in fertiliser production, some processes are hard to electrify: high-temperature carriers or molecular feedstocks are needed, including methane and CO₂. Biomethane and biogenic CO₂ can be an answer, provided they have a market and clear rules. For this reason support for biomethane within industrial policy is key for the industry.

Significance for the industry in Poland

Polish energy-intensive industry (chemicals, glass, paper, fertilisers) is strongly dependent on gas, and gas and CO₂ allowance prices affect its competitiveness. In 2025 Poland was only preparing auctions for biomethane, and the first installation injecting into the grid was to start in the second half of the year. The EU strategy pointed to a direction of support (above all the State aid framework), which could be used when designing national programmes, for example contracts for difference for biomethane.

For companies in the sector it is also important that the Clean Industrial Deal is to be supplemented by implementing acts, including the State aid framework.

What next

After the strategy's publication, work will move to the level of implementing acts and State aid. The Commission announced, among other things, a new State aid framework for the Clean Industrial Deal, which may make it easier to create national support schemes. The biogas industry will lobby for the recognition of biomethane in these documents and for dedicated financing instruments.