As part of the green transition and the REPowerEU Plan to uptake the production and use of internal and renewable energy sources, the EC has set a biomethane target of 35 billion cubic meters (bcm) produced in the EU by 2030. For comparison, only 3 bcm of biomethane were produced in 2022.

To achieve this target, there are different reasons why the use of manure can be preferable relative to other feedstocks. For instance, there is a risk that using energy crops leads to detrimental agricultural and land use practices due to the intensive cultivation of energy crop monocultures, which may also cause the substitution of food crops for energy crops and subsequently impact food security and affordability. In addition, anaerobic digestion can make manure management more sustainable, helping reduce the methane emissions that would have been released from untreated manure.

However, a report published late last year by the environmental organization ‘Feedback EU’ argues that this target of 35 bcm is both unrealistic and environmentally unsustainable. It argues that the huge volume of feedstocks needed to produce the target amount of biomethane will result in unintended consequences. The full report can be found here: https://feedbackeurope.org/biomethane-report/   

Focusing on livestock farming, we summarise the main arguments of the report regarding the potential adverse affects of using manure for the production of biomethane:

• Adverse incentives encouraging livestock production. Livestock production accounts for almost a third of global methane emissions. Therefore, reducing our meat consumption, and in turn reducing the number of ruminant animals farmed, is crucial for climate change mitigation. However, the biomethane target risks providing incentives to sustain or even expand livestock numbers.
• Logistical issues related to the transport of manure. Logistical and infrastructure limitations further reduce the amount of manure available. Due to its low energy content, it is economically and environmentally challenging to transport manure over long distances, e.g. to areas with fewer farm animals.
• Pollution risks. Most of the EU’s agricultural emissions of ammonia, nitrate and nitrous oxide come from livestock production. Nevertheless, proper manure management alone is not sufficient to address the pollution risks from manure treatment and digestate use. For instance, careful monitoring is needed to ensure that there is no overapplication of digestate. Furthermore, if the animals producing manure are receiving antibiotic treatment, crops could be exposed to antibiotic-resistant genes present in the digestate.

What do you think? How can we increase our share of biogases in the EU in a sustainable way while contributing to a healthy and fair food supply chain?

How can we balance the trade-offs between decarbonization and a fair consumption and production of renewable energy? Should the EU set a new, more conservative target?

Feel free to engage in the discussion with your own thoughts!