Romania needs to accelerate its green gas production to capitalize on its huge potential in biomethane, warn representatives from the Federation of Energy Utility Companies Associations (ACUE).
Romania possesses an extensive gas distribution network of 60,000 kilometers and has considerable opportunities to develop new production capacities, including biomethane, a green gas that could be an efficient solution for decarbonization. Biomethane can be integrated into the existing infrastructure without requiring major additional investments. However, despite this potential, Romania currently lacks a national strategy for the development of biomethane, a lack of strategic vision highlighted by Dana Dărăban, the executive director of ACUE, in a recent press meeting.
“We have 60,000 kilometers of gas distribution network and the potential for new production capacities, plus the potential for biomethane production, which is an easy tool for decarbonization, using existing infrastructure, without separate investments, meaning investments in infrastructure. It would be foolish, in the kindest way to say it, not to exploit this issue. To not have any strategy as a country that still wants to be the largest gas producer in the EU and to not have a strategy on how to maximize the benefits of the existing infrastructure I think is a great example of a lack of vision,” Dana Dărăban argued on Monday.
According to estimates by the European Biogas Association and the European Commission, Romania could rank 6th in the European Union in terms of biomethane production by 2030, with an annual volume of 2 billion cubic meters, and 7th by 2050, with 8 billion cubic meters annually. These figures underline a considerable potential that could transform Romania into a European leader in the production of green gases.
Although there is talk of phasing out methane gas by 2050, it is considered a transition fuel. Romania is privileged due to the Neptun Deep project, but there is also the potential to replace fossil gases with renewable resources, such as biomethane and green hydrogen. ACUE representatives emphasize that Romania needs to act quickly to capitalize on these resources.
“It would be good to have biomethane, because it’s the easiest option. You can transport it through existing networks. Here Romania should move,” gas sector operators suggest. They propose that a first step would be the automatic granting of operating and distribution licenses for biomethane to operators who already hold licenses for methane gas, a request put forward to the National Energy Regulatory Authority.
Regarding green hydrogen, its development has stagnated, including at the EU level, due to regulatory gaps and commercial issues. The Romanian Energy Strategy Project 2025 – 2035, with a view to 2050, highlights the fact that biomethane and natural gas have the same chemical composition, which allows the use of biomethane in existing networks and facilities without specific adaptations.
Despite the production potential of biomethane in Romania, estimated at 2 billion cubic meters annually by 2030, the country remains one of the least developed biogas markets in the EU, with only three CNG refueling stations. A 2020 European Commission study shows that by 2050, Romania could technically produce 65 TWh/year of biomethane, with the main sources being energy crops (60%), forestry residues (17%), straw (13%), livestock manure (7%), and biological waste (4%).
“Due to the development of the natural gas sector and the corresponding networks, coupled with the long-term decline in natural gas production, the infrastructure thus developed can be used for the transportation of green gases, including biomethane. The European Commission’s 2021 analysis concluded that despite the significant production potential of biomethane in Romania, 2 billion cubic meters per year by 2030 (having the capacity to replace approximately 80% of current natural gas imports with biomethane), Romania remains one of the least developed biogas markets in the EU, and the current number of CNG refueling stations, namely 3, is not sufficient for greater absorption of biomethane in transport. According to a 2020 European Commission study, by 2050 the total technical production potential of biomethane in Romania is approximately 65 TWh/year, with the main production sources being: 60% – energy crops, 17% – forestry residues, 13% – straw, 7% – livestock manure, and 4% – biological waste,” it is stated in the project.
To capitalize on this potential, Romania needs to develop and implement a clear and coherent national strategy for the production of biomethane and other green gases, focusing on using existing infrastructure and stimulating investments in this vital sector for the country’s energy future.