May 7, 2025
Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) hosted the launch of a landmark study titled “Using gas infrastructure for biomethane.” Developed in collaboration with Common Futures, the report offers a comprehensive analysis of the pivotal role that existing gas infrastructure can play in scaling up biomethane across Europe boosting energy resilience, decarbonisation, and security of supply.
The study marks a first-of-its-kind assessment of how biomethane can be seamlessly integrated into the EU’s energy system by leveraging existing gas infrastructure, including transmission pipelines, distribution grids, and underground storage. It provides a clear picture of where biomethane is already being produced, identifies areas where new production is expected to emerge, and analyses how the supply-demand balance can be managed effectively across both time and geography.
This analysis comes at a crucial juncture for the biomethane sector. GIE sees two possible futures: one in which biomethane remains confined to local use and plays only a marginal role in the energy mix; and another in which it is enabled by the broader gas system to contribute meaningfully to Europe’s energy transition. The study was commissioned in response to recurring questions from policymakers and industry players about the infrastructure’s readiness and adaptability. Its findings provide robust, data-driven evidence that Europe’s gas infrastructure is well-suited to accommodate the scaling of biomethane, and it can do so cost-effectively, maintaining competitiveness while supporting decarbonisation at scale. It is in fact the most affordable route to incorporate renewable energy sources in the overall European energy system, and that across all energy vectors.
 | Pierre Duvieusart, Deputy CEO, NaTran and Sponsor of GIE’s Biomethane Area, commented: “Biomethane is assuming an increasingly vital role in Europe’s energy transition. We are at a pivotal moment: to truly establish itself as a gamechanger, biomethane must demonstrate that it can scale effectively and deliver cost-efficiency. The study presented today is the first of its kind to focus on logistics – the essential link between production and consumption. As a key part of the biomethane value chain, efficient use of existing gas infrastructure enables growth and system integration. This study provides compelling evidence that biomethane is not only a sustainable solution, but also a scalable and economically sound one.” |
| Padraig Fleming, Biomethane Programme Manager at Gas Networks Ireland and Co-Chair of GIE’s Biomethane Working Group, commented: “This report, for the first time, examines the EU-wide contribution gas networks and storage can make in combination with biomethane production in decarbonising the EU’s gas demand. The potential for this indigenous renewable resource can be ramped up immediately, given the right supports, providing benefits in strengthening security of supply, supporting rural economies and accelerating the transition to a climate-neutral future.” |  |
Biomethane is an affordable and immediately deployable solution to Europe’s decarbonisation challenges. Unlike many emerging technologies, it requires only modest additional investment to be integrated into the existing gas infrastructure, making it far less expensive than building new systems. This cost-efficiency extends to its operation within current market structures, as biomethane can be transported via established transmission and distribution networks, traded on platforms such as the TTF, and injected into storage facilities without significant system upgrades—truly a plug-and-play solution. In addition to its technical advantages, biomethane offers substantial socio-economic benefits. It supports circular economy models by transforming organic and agricultural waste into energy, providing farmers with new revenue streams and strengthening rural communities. Moreover, the production process generates renewable CO₂ as a valuable by-product, which can be harnessed for use in e-fuels and other industrial applications, further enhancing its climate credentials. As a dispatchable and renewable molecule, biomethane plays a unique role in ensuring energy system reliability and resilience, particularly when integrated with storage, and it can do so without imposing changes on end consumers.
Gas Infrastructure Europe calls for regulatory and policy measures that support the strategic integration of biomethane. This includes establishing a level playing field across all renewable energy sources, creating an EU-wide certification scheme for cross-border trade in renewable gases, harmonising technical standards and gas quality, and enhancing awareness-raising through education and community engagement programmes.
By enabling biomethane to reach end users across the continent, Europe’s gas infrastructure can act as a powerful enabler of the green transition, supporting climate targets while delivering economic and social benefits at scale at an affordable cost.
Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) is the association representing the interests of European gas infrastructure operators active in gas transmission, gas storage and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) regasification. GIE is a trusted partner of European institutions, regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders. It is based in Brussels, the heart of European policymaking. GIE currently represents 72 member companies from 25 countries. GIE’s vision is that by 2050, the gas infrastructure will be the backbone of the new innovative energy system, allowing European citizens to benefit from a secure, efficient and sustainable energy supply.
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