Perspectives for the Use of Biogas and Biomethane in the Context of the Green Energy Transformation on the Example of an EU Country

Natural gas is the primary source of energy, accounting for around 20% of the world's energy production. It is also a key element in reducing CO2 emissions due to its key role in stabilizing renewable energy sources. At the same time, natural gas as a fossil fuel that emits CO2 should be limited. A natural candidate that can ensure the stabilization of RES and at the same time reduce the demand for fossil fuels is biogas. Successful use of biogas requires a thorough understanding of the potential, structure, and specifics of its sources and production technology. The presented study provides a perspective and a brief overview of the existing potential of biogas production. Poland was chosen as the case study and it was shown that almost 90% of the Polish biogas potential comes from sources with a capacity below 100 Nm(3)/h, which is the current minimum commercially available capacity of the biogas purification and liquefaction technologies. Consequently, full utilization of these sources would require a downsizing of these technologies.

Automated summary

Natural gas is a major energy source, accounting for about 20% of the world's energy production. It plays a key role in reducing CO2 emissions by stabilizing renewable energy sources. However, as a fossil fuel, its use should be limited. Biogas is a potential candidate for stabilizing renewable energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. This study focuses on the potential of biogas production in Poland, showing that most of the potential comes from sources with lower capacities, requiring downsizing of current technologies for full utilization.