Rachel Parkes writes about the rise of natural gas as the soon-to-be fastest-growing fossil fuel and questions whether biomethane could be a viable clean alternative.

Biomethane, also known as ‘green gas’, is produced from waste products but is chemically identical to natural gas, Rachel writes. And with positive predictions about the uptake of green gas in the near future, could this renewable source be implemented in a bigger way to contribute to the EU’s decarbonisation goals? Currently the main success for biomethane has taken place in Germany and its usage has yet to spread to other markets.  Rachel finds that the main use of green gas is transportation, especially in the US, and while the uptake of biomethane in Europe is currently facing uncertainty, the US has been hailed as the forthcoming biggest growth market for green gas. However, even here, as in Europe, costs are a barrier to the biomethane market and Rachel calls for a need for financial support in both Europe and the US in order to facilitate the production of biomethane as a strong alternative to natural gas.  

The full version of this article will be published in the next issue of Renewable Energy Focus.