Faced with a wave of major environmental problems triggered by massive emissions of polluting gases, the European market has not only opted for the use of a new gas that does not pollute and would promise greater energy efficiency, but would have bet everything on it.
Learn about all the energy benefits of this new gas
We are talking about biomethane, the new gas that would be undergoing a transformation that could take the energy sector one step further, even more so if we take into account that it is driven by a circular economy.
Due to its multiple benefits, this gas has increasingly become an emerging energy business, especially if we talk about some European countries that are seeking a transition towards environmentally friendly and energy-effective energy sources.
It is important to highlight that the implementation of biomethane would not only be a great option if we think about all the decarbonization objectives proposed in most European countries and especially in Spain. It would even be an extremely attractive alternative to cut dependence on foreign energy sources.
Much more clean energy of this type could be produced in Spain, enough to cover almost half of the demand for natural gas. However, to make this possible, around 2,326 special plants would have to be built throughout the country, which would have a high cost, around 40,495 million euros.
These figures mentioned above would represent almost 3.6% of all the money that Spain collects in a year (GDP). Besides, would create around 62,000 new jobsboth direct and indirect, to operate and maintain these biomethane plants.
This is the great potential that biomethane has in Spain
In Spain there are currently eleven biomethane plants that are in operation. The plants in question are located in Galicia, Madrid, Catalonia, León and Castilla, together have the potential to produce 455 GWh of energy per year.
There are even around 250 biogas plants in total, these same They produce around 8,079 GWh of energy per year. Adding to the extensive list, there are seven plants that convert solid biomass into gas, these are distributed in various regions such as Galicia, Andalusia, Aragon, Castilla, Murcia, León, and Castilla-La Mancha. Not to mention that, there are two pilot plants in León and Navarra that have the same objective.
It is important to mention that, in Spain there are around 200 projects in different stages, the same ones that are being carried out by a growing number of companies. These companies in question are especially interested in renewable gases, which could become a very relevant business in the future.
A list of challenges to face in this energy transition
Although these projects may sound extremely promising, the reality is that face a series of conflicts regulation, economic and even fiscal that would be hindering the proliferation of new structures that produce this gas.
On the other hand, another of the major conflicts faced is that, for biomethane and other renewable gases to be used effectively to reduce the carbon footprint, it is crucial to gain society’s support for these projects. This involves involving farmers to guarantee the supply of raw materials, encouraging demand through incentives such as the use of biomethane in buses and so on.
Biomethane is emerging as a hopeful alternative in the European energy market, promising efficiency and sustainability, with its potential to reduce dependence on external energy sources and meet decarbonization objectives, but will society be able to openly accept this proposal?
