EBA study shows European biomethane production hit 7B cum through Q1 2025

In Belgium, Europe’s biomethane sector is growing, but not fast enough. Installed production capacity hit 7 billion cubic meters (bcm) annually by the end of Q1 2025, up 9% from 2024. Yet growth is beginning to slow, despite investor appetite remaining strong, even slightly higher than last year (€28 billion). This mismatch highlights the urgent need for clear policy strategy on biogases, binding targets as proposed in a recent sector’s call for a 2040 Roadmap, and swift regulatory action to accelerate the sector before momentum fades.

The 2025 Biomethane Investment Outlook, released by the European Biogas Association (EBA), identifies a growing commitment from the industry, with a total of €28 billion allocated for investment in biomethane production. This marks a growth of €1 billion compared to the investments identified one year ago. The investments are projected to deliver 7.3 bcm/year of biomethane capacity to Europe by 2030, an increase of 1 bcm from last year’s outlook.

The total number of biomethane plants in Europe has also increased from 1,548 to 1,678 between the 2024 and 2025 data collection, as showcased in the latest European Biomethane Map, also released today. 165 new plants began operation during this period, out of which already 56 plants are known to have started operation in the beginning of 2025. This net increase reflects steady expansion of a promising sustainable sector.

France now leads biomethane production in Europe, having overtaken Germany with a 21% higher production share and a threefold advantage in number of plants. In contrast, UK and Germany have almost stagnated primarily due to regulatory uncertainty. Countries like Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden, while significant contributors, have recorded slower year-on-year growth compared to the other top producers.