As part of the series of project events organised by BIOMETHAVERSE (see Milan Workshop, Uppsala Workshop), a workshop on biomethane and sustainability brought together 38 industry experts and stakeholders to discuss the role of biomethane in advancing a circular economy, promoting energy independence, and creating green jobs. The event, hosted by CERTH on June 2024 in Thessaloniki, featured insightful presentations and discussions on the latest developments in renewable gases and hydrogen technologies.
Following an introduction by Dimitris Kourkoumpas (CERTH), who emphasized the importance of biomethane within a circular economy, supporting energy independence and the creation of green jobs, Panagiotis Grammelis detailed CERTH’s activities in the field of renewable gases and hydrogen technologies, highlighting their innovative projects.
Themistoklis Sfetsas from Biogas Lagada S.A. took the stage to discuss BLAG’s contributions to the biomethane sector, providing a practical example of industry advancements. Building on this, Anna Venturini (EBA) highlighted the potential of biomethane in Europe, discussing the necessary policy frameworks to support its growth and overcome existing challenges.
Shifting focus to regional specifics, Eva Tsoukalidou (DESFA) addressed the challenges and prospects for biomethane production and transport in Greece, while Manolis Zafeiris (ENAON) spoke on how biomethane can help meet Greece’s NECP objectives. This was complemented by Maria Koulouvari (DAPEEP), who explained the implementation of Guarantees of Origin for gas, ensuring transparency and tracking in the renewable energy market.
Continuing with practical implementations, Samuele Vito (CAP) presented the pilot site in Italy, focusing on integrated biomethane production technologies. Vasilios Diamantis (HABIO) then discussed the production costs of biogas and electricity in Greek anaerobic digestion facilities, providing insights into the economic aspects of biogas production.
Stefano Proietti (ISINNOVA) provided an overview of the BIOMETHAVERSE project, highlighting its goals and progress, which set the context for presentations on specific pilot sites. Gaspard Bouteau (ENGIE), Karin Berg (RISE), Oleksandr Dombrovskiy (MHP), and Georgia Nikolaou (CERTH) discussed the pilot sites in France, Sweden, Ukraine, and Greece, respectively, each presenting unique approaches and technologies being implemented in their regions.
In the afternoon session, the focus shifted to related projects aimed at fostering collaboration and innovation. Andromachi Kalaouzi from Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL introduced the ALFA project, which seeks to unlock the biogas potential of livestock farming. Manthos Panou (Qlab) presented the μ2gas project, aimed at enhancing anaerobic digestion efficiency. Petros Samaras (IHU) discussed the FUELPHORIA project, which focuses on producing biodiesel from microalgae. Finally, Dimitris Kourkoumpas (CERTH) outlined the CO2SMOS project, which aims at sustainable carbon capture and utilization technologies.
The workshop concluded with a forum and round table discussion, encouraging collaboration among participants and setting the direction for future activities and research in the biomethane sector.
The presentations of the sessions are available below.
The role of renewable gases in the energy sector: CERTH activities (CERTH)
Biomethane towards 2040 (EBA)
Challenges and Prospects for the Production and Transport of Biomethane in Greece: the role of DESFA (DESFA)
Biomethane perspectives in Greece, to meet NECP objectives (ENAON)
Guarantees of Origin – implementation for gas (DAPEEP)
Pilot site in Italy (CAP)
Production costs of biogas (methane) and electricity in Greek anaerobic digestion facilities (HABIO)
The BIOMETHAVERSE project (ISINNOVA)
Pilot site in France (ENGIE)
Pilot site in Sweden (RISE)
Pilot site in Ukraine (MHP)
Pilot site in Greece (CERTH) (BLAG)
ALFA: Unlocking the Biogas potential of Livestock Farming (Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL)
Fuelphoria: The microalgae valorization towards biodiesel production (IHU)
