Latest EBA report shows biogas’ importance in European energy independence

In Belgium, European Biogas Association (EBA) unveils the 15th edition of its Statistical Report, the landmark annual publication offering the most comprehensive assessment of biogas and biomethane markets in Europe. The 2024–2025 dataset underscores the strategic importance of biogases for Europe’s energy independence and defossilisation pathway, while warning that persistent regulatory uncertainty is slowing the sector’s growth at a decisive moment.

With EU-27 gas consumption at 332 bcm, and 273 bcm still imported, the report highlights the urgent need to scale domestic, renewable gas solutions. Biogases offer a direct pathway to reducing strategic energy dependence while increasing the competitiveness of Europe in its ambition to phase-out of fossil fuels. At the same time, the EU’s dispatchable power generation capacity has fallen markedly, from 424 GW in 2012 to around 380 GW in 2023, despite the growing need for flexibility. As a clean, dispatchable energy source, biogases are essential for balancing the grid during extended periods of low solar and wind production.

The report reveals modest growth on biogas and biomethane production (22 bcm in 2024, compared to 21.7 bcm in 2023), which concentrated mostly on EU-27 countries (19 bcm). Current EU-27 production is equivalent to the entire inland gas demand of Belgium, Denmark, and Ireland together, 6% of the EU’s natural gas consumption. Biomethane continues to be the fastest-growing segment (5.2 bcm of which 4.3 produced in EU-27) supported by an installed capacity of 7 bcm/year in Europe by early 2025.