It’s a partnership and lighthouse project. Today, the European Commission and leading companies from across Europe are jointly launching the sustainable Biomethane Industrial Partnership (BIP). The aim is to meet the EU’s biomethane production target of 35 billion cubic metres (bcm) by 2030. “As the initiative is a coordinated effort from policymakers and producers alike, it was self-evident to us that we had to be part of this partnership,” comments Jörg Fischer, CFO of multinational German biogas all-rounder EnviTec Biogas AG.
Announced as part of the REPower EU plan, the project is now officially underway. One key goal of the initiative is achieving a cost-effective reduction in Europe’s dependency on Russian natural gas. However, the BIP also aims to make significant progress in diversifying agriculture revenue streams and orienting the sector towards a circular economy. “Membership of the BIP is open to any stakeholder interested in working towards realising these goals,” Fischer explains. All EU Member States are invited to become part of the Biomethane Industrial Partnership, as are businesses, industry associations, higher education institutions and civil society organisations.
Today’s symbolic opening of a pipeline for renewable gas also kicks off the EU’s 2022 Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), organised as a hybrid event online and in Brussels. EUSEW is the largest annual event dedicated to renewables and the efficient use of energy in Europe, and the programme covers a wide range of activities aimed at achieving a secure and sustainable energy future for Europe.
With the BIP now officially launched, Harmen Dekker, Director of the European Biogas Association, also took the opportunity to state that the biomethane sector was willing and able to meet the 35 bcm target, while noting that this would require an investment of some EUR 70–80 billion. Accordingly, Dekker continued, the BIP is set to play a key role within Europe as a coordinator of joint efforts to overcome barriers to investment, production and usage. From an operations perspective, the Biomethane Industrial Partnership will go live on 25 October 2022.
For more information about the Biomethane Industrial Partnership, please visit www.bip-europe.eu
About EnviTec Biogas AG
EnviTec Biogas AG covers the entire value chain for the production of biogas, including the planning and turnkey construction of biogas plants and biogas upgrading plants as well as their commissioning. The company takes charge of biological and technical services on demand, and also offers operational management services. EnviTec operates 89 of its own plants, making it one of the largest biogas producers in Germany. EnviTec’s business interests also include the direct marketing of upgraded biomethane as well as the marketing of electricity and balancing energy. The company is represented in 16 countries worldwide by its own companies, sales offices, strategic partners and joint ventures. In 2021, the EnviTec Group generated revenue of EUR 262.4 million and EBT of EUR 23.3 million. The Group currently employs more than 550 people worldwide. EnviTec Biogas AG has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since July 2007.