The partnership was launched during the European Sustainable Energy week by the European Commission and EU energy leaders
As announced in the REPowerEU plan, the main aim of this new public-private partnership is to support the achievement of increasing annual production and use of biomethane to 35 billion cubic meters by 2030.
At the moment, being energy security one of the top priorities in the EU political agenda, the BIP will help mitigate the impact of rising energy prices, diversify gas supply – and hence reduce EU’s reliance on Russian gas – and accelerate the transition to clean and renewable energy.
The partnership is open to all interested stakeholders that wish to work towards achieving its objective. All EU member states are invited to join the Biomethane Industrial Partnership, together with companies, industries associations, academia and civil society organizations.
The BIP is structured into 5 task forces, each one with a specific objective to implement in order to reach the REPowerEU target:
- Task force 1 will focus on Member States, with the creation of national biomethane targets, strategies and policies;
- Task force 2 will prioritize the rapid increase of biomethane production capacity, through the mapping of new investments in the sector;
- Task force 3 will identify sustainable potentials across the EU for innovative biomass sources;
- Task force 4 will work on cost efficiency of biomethane production and grid connection, by identifying of ways to reduce the cost of production;
- Task force 5 will work on the current status of Research, Development and innovation in biomethane production.
The partnership was launched at the presence of Vice President Franz Timmermans, who reaffirms the necessity of implementing biomethane market as soon as possible:
“Europe has huge potential for the production of biomethane. With biomethane, we can replace fossil gas from Russia with homegrown, sustainable and renewable gas. Biomethane also creates new economic opportunities in rural areas. The Biomethane Industrial Partnership that we launch today will be instrumental to increase the production and use of biomethane across the EU.”