Biomethane

Biomethane is a renewable, local and storable energy source obtained from the recovery process of biodegradable organic waste, i.e. from the treatment of this waste so that it can be reused. This energy source is produced after the biogas has undergone a technological purification process known as "upgrading", in which the methane in the biogas is concentrated and purified, resulting in 100% renewable energy.

Biomethane is a renewable energy which improves waste management —reducing CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere— and promotes a circular economy that contributes to the process of global decarbonisation. Its development also favours a just transition by enabling territories and industries to produce local, storable and clean energy, which has a positive impact on the economy and employment in rural areas. 

Biomethane is a versatile alternative to natural gas that can replace it in various applications across different sectors. It proves particularly valuable in sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as the thermo-intensive industry.

To better understand the journey of waste from its creation to its conversion into a fully renewable energy source, please take a look at the accompanying infographic.

These are some of the most common uses of biomethane:

Spain has great potential for the production of this renewable gas, as the key sectors of the Spanish economy, such as the agri-food industry and livestock farming, generate large quantities of organic waste. The Spanish Biogas Roadmap, published in March 2022, sets a national target for biogas production (including biomethane) of at least 10 TWh per year by 2030, a figure that was doubled to 20 TWh in the draft update of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC).

Biomethane, with its composition resembling that of natural gas, can use existing gas infrastructures for transportation. Enagás provides the Green Link service to facilitate the connection of biomethane production facilities and other renewable gases, including green hydrogen , to the high-pressure gas pipeline network.

This initiative, along with the establishment of a Guarantees of Origin System for renewable gases, operational since January 2023 and overseen by Enagás GTS, as well as the promotion of related projects, are crucial elements for the implementation of biomethane.

Enagás actively supports the development of biomethane production projects through its subsidiary Enagás Renovable. One of the most outstanding projects is UNUE, the first privately owned industrial biomethane plant connected to the Spanish gas grid, which has been operating since 2021. Located in Burgos, the biomethane plant has a maximum production capacity of 20 GWh per year, which is equivalent to the average annual natural gas consumption of 4,000 households.

Find out more about this and other biomethane projects promoted by Enagás Renovable.