European Biomethane Map 2026: capacity of 8.2 billion m³ per year and EUR 36 billion of investment commitments
The EBA and GIE published the European Biomethane Map: installed capacity of 8.2 billion m³ per year (up by more than 1 billion m³, 17%), 1,975 installations and investment commitments up to EUR 36 billion.
Other language versions: polski.
The European Biogas Association (EBA) and Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) published at the beginning of July 2026 another European Biomethane Map. According to it, installed biomethane production capacity in Europe reached 8.2 billion m³ per year at the end of the second quarter of 2026, that is it exceeded 8 billion m³. Over the year more than 1 billion m³ of capacity was added, which means growth of 17% compared with 2025.
Key data
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Production capacity (Q2 2026) | 8.2 billion m³/year |
| Increase over the year | more than 1 billion m³ (17%) |
| Installations in operation | 1,975 (from 1,678 a year earlier) |
| Newly commissioned | 327 (net increase lower – closures) |
| Average size | 472 Nm³/h |
| Capacity utilisation | on average about 70% |
| Share of five countries in production | 95% |
| Investment commitments | EUR 36 billion (EUR 28 billion a year earlier) |
The differences between countries are large: in Denmark installations are few but large (on average 1,528 Nm³/h), in France there are the most of them but they are small (on average 212 Nm³/h), in Italy the average is 667 Nm³/h, and in Germany 607 Nm³/h. If the investment commitments are fully realised, they will add 9 billion m³ per year by 2030. A 2026 Guidehouse study estimates the EU-27 potential at 31–32 billion m³ in 2030 and up to 184 billion m³ in 2050. EBA Managing Director Harmen Dekker indicated that development is held back by regulatory complexity and uncertainty, and GIE Secretary General Lucie Boost that existing gas infrastructure is ready to connect production with demand across borders.
How to read these figures
Production capacity is not production. Utilisation at 70% means that some installations operate below capacity – because of feedstocks, grid constraints or the seasonality of demand. When comparing the growth in the number of installations from 1,678 to 1,975, changes in methodology and dates must be taken into account: the previous Map referred to mid-2025, and the EBA statistical report to the end of 2024 (about 1,620 installations), so the compilations are not directly comparable.
Significance for the industry in Poland
In these compilations Poland is among the countries with one or two operating installations, but with a large number of projects in preparation (122 according to POB). A comparison with European average capacities (472 Nm³/h) shows that Polish 1–5 MW projects fall within the typical scale. On the other hand, the fact that five states account for 95% of production points to a concentration risk: the market depends on the policies of a few countries.
For Polish grid operators and regulators the capacity utilisation data are a signal that construction alone is not enough – connections, demand and certification are needed.
What to watch
Investment commitments (EUR 36 billion) are declarations, not expenditure, so they depend on financing conditions and support. It is worth following whether the number of installation closures is rising – it is an indicator of the health of the sector in countries where old support systems are expiring.
Sources
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