10-2025 Newsletter Task 37
Newsletter IEA Bioenergy Task 37: 10/2025
Reports from all over the world
Topics:
- Task 39 Biofuels News magazine: issue 67
- AMF August Newsletter
- Proposal for quality standards of bio-waste entering biological recycling facilities
- Monitoring renewable energies in transport
- EBA has unveiled its Roadmap towards 2040
- U.S. biogas industry’s potential for growth
- Brazil: Whitepaper of the Worl Bioenergy Association
- Current Biogas Landscape in the U.S. Dairy Sector
- Japan’s Gas Industry Allows Gas with Carbon Capture in 2050 Net Zero Plan
- Biogas Journal of the German Biogas Association
- RNG capacity projected to increase 70 million ft3/d in 2025 after record growth in 2024
- New EBA Report – RED III Implementation Analysis
- U.S. renewable gas production potential grows amid decarbonization push
- Biogas, biomethane can meet 8% of Türkiye’s gas needs, say experts
- Primary end-use of biogas captured in the USA
- Cultivation figures for renewable raw materials in agriculture in Germany
- AEO 2025 Trends: Enhanced Decarbonization Opportunities
Task 39 Biofuels News magazine: issue 67
Task 39 (Biofuels to Decarbonize Transport) publishes twice a year a Biofuels News magazine. The magazine describes in brief which activities were carried out in the past three years, but in particular highlights where it will focus on in the years 2025-2027. It includes interesting figures of biofuels including biomethane. The headline story of the Biofuels News Magazine is about Brazil’s biofuels program. New legislation, including recent 2024 “Fuel of the Future” law, aims to further accelerate the energy transition. It sets ambitious targets for ethanol (up to E35) and biodiesel blends (B25 by 2030), along with incentives for biogas, biomethane, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
AMF August Newsletter
In the latest newsletter of the Alternative Motel Fuel (AMF) Technology Collaboration Programm of IEA, biogas is mentioned under different key words like “Demonstration” and “Spotlight Biogas”. Check it out.
Proposal for quality standards of bio-waste entering biological recycling facilities
The LIFE BIOBEST project released a guideline advocating for EU-wide bio-waste quality standards, including a 3% impurity limit for commingled bio-waste at recycling facility entry, to improve compost and digestate quality. The document draws conclusions from the various approaches currently adopted by EU MS, including methodologies for the analysis of bio-waste composition as well as the definition of control or limit values for impurities.
Monitoring renewable energies in transport
In collaboration with the Technology and Support Center (TFZ), the Technical University of Hamburg (TUHH), the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), and the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes (CBP), the German Biomass Research Center (DBFZ) has compiled a comprehensive monitoring report on the topic of “Renewable Energies in Transportation.” The study describes the current status of the energy transition in transport in Germany, Europe, and worldwide. The focus is on renewable fuels from biomass and electricity, as well as renewable hydrogen. The introduction provides an outlook on the energy transition in transport with a view on climate-neutral transport, comparing the future demand for renewable energies with the potential supply. Further sections describe the legal framework and fundamental political objectives for renewable energies followed by an ecological and economic assessment.
More (in German)
EBA has unveiled its Roadmap towards 2040
The European Biogas Association (EBA) has unveiled its Roadmap towards 2040, outlining a bold vision for the future of the biogases value chain. This strategic document calls for a binding EU target for renewable gases, aiming to unlock the full potential of circular and affordable energy for Europe. Setting a binding target of 100bcm by 2040 would align with the REPowerEU Plan’s goals and give investors, developers, and communities the long-term certainty they need. In addition, it would generate more than 480 Mt of CO₂ emissions savings, a substantial contribution to the achievement of the EU’s emissions reduction goal for 2040. Furthermore, the biogenic CO₂ captured through the biogas process could replace 89 million tons of fossil-derived CO₂ by 2040 in numerous critical industries, while digestate production and use as organic fertilizer would generate additional GHG emissions savings.
U.S. biogas industry’s potential for growth
In June, the American Biogas Council (ABC) released new data showing, on a state-by- state basis, the energy production and waste recycling benefits that a full build-out of potential biogas systems could provide. The data — provided via an interactive map — includes the number of existing and potential biogas operations in each state, the current and potential biogas energy production capacity, and the resulting climate and economic benefits. The newly released data indicates that 17,000 new biogas projects could be deployed in addition to the 2,500 already in operation. These additional projects have the potential to produce 3.6 trillion cubic feet of biogas. This opportunity spans all sectors, with 11,200 livestock farms, 3,750 water resource recovery facilities and 730 landfills offering scope for development, supplemented by the potential construction of as many as 1,370 stand-alone food waste systems which would beneficially use the 74 million tons of food wasted in the U.S. each year. In total, just 13% of all potential biogas facilities in the U.S. have been built. The landfill sector has the highest level of buildout at 44%, ahead of the wastewater sector which stands at 24%. The agriculture and food waste sectors have only built out 5-7% of the potential number of facilities to-date.
Brazil: Whitepaper of the Worl Bioenergy Association
Brazil is one of the most advanced bioenergy markets in the world, with decades of experience and strong policies supporting the use of sustainable fuels across sectors. With COP30 global attention turned to Brazil. Upfront, the World Bioenergy Association has released a new white paper exploring the country’s bioenergy development, key trends, and lessons for the global energy transition. It covers Biodiesel, SAF, EtOH and Biogas. Biogas production in Brazil is concentrated in three primary areas: agriculture, industry, and sanitation. By the end of 2022, total biogas output reached 2.9 billion cubic meters, with 114 new biogas plants launched during the year – a 15% rise compared to 2021. Electricity generation remains the most common use for biogas in Brazil. In 2022, 86% of biogas facilities operated for power production, with an estimated 72% of the country’s total biogas output being converted into electricity.
Current Biogas Landscape in the U.S. Dairy Sector
As of June 2025, there are 471 biogas capture systems in operation at U.S. dairy farms, double the number active at the end of 2020. Biogas production from dairy manure has increased by 130% since 2020, now standing at 4,100 cubic meter per minute. The past five years has not only been a period of unprecedented growth, but also one of evolution. At the end of 2020, tank-based digesters represented 24% of all anaerobic digestion facilities, with covered lagoons representing the remaining 76%. Fast forward to today covered lagoons now account for 43% of all facilities. The end-use of the captured biogas has also seen a major shift over this period. Of the 471 systems today, 60% are now upgrading biogas to RNG, with the remaining 40% using the biogas to produce electricity or heat. By contrast, at the end of 2020, 74% of the biogas captured was used for power generation, while just 26% of all U.S. dairy biogas capture systems were producing RNG.
More
Japan’s Gas Industry Allows Gas with Carbon Capture in 2050 Net Zero Plan
The Japan Gas Association stated that it aimed to supply 50-90% by 2050 of its gas from biogas or e-methane, with 10-50% coming from natural gas and carbon capture.
The group, including city gas suppliers had originally set an initial target of 90% e-methane produced from green hydrogen, CO2, and 5% biogas by 2050. The updated plan includes a greater role for natural gases, paired with carbon-offsetting technologies, such as carbon storage and capture, carbon capture, and utilization, and forest absorption. This could cover 10-50% future supply. The Association’s spokesman said that the change was due to cost and technological advancements.
Biogas Journal of the German Biogas Association
Flexible power, future fuels, microbial innovation: discover how biogas plants are evolving, why hydrogen is making headlines in Bavaria, and what new bacteria mean for efficiency. Plus: Country Reports from Portugal, Belgium, Uganda, Ghana, Cambodia.
RNG capacity projected to increase 70 million ft3/d in 2025 after record growth in 2024
The North America renewable natural gas (RNG) market has demonstrated robust growth, expanding 35% since 2023 and adding a record 139 million ft3/d in 2024, according to a recent analysis from Wood Mackenzie. According to the report the market will add another 70 million ft3/d in 2025, bringing total capacity to 604 million ft3/d. The transportation sector consumes more than half of RNG production. Texas leads all states in the US, with 73 million ft3/d of activity, followed by Pennsylvania (55 million ft3/d) and Ohio (44 million f3/d). Canada currently has 46 million ft3/d of activity. Despite robust growth, RNG still faces some challenges, particularly with project development costs.
New EBA Report – RED III Implementation Analysis
The Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) aims to increase the share of renewable energy across the EU and plays a crucial role in advancing Europe’s climate goals and energy security. The 21 May 2025 deadline marked the moment for Member States to transpose RED III into national law. This report provides an in-depth analysis of where Member States currently stand and what this means for the biogas and biomethane sectors. This report provides a comprehensive overview of how public support mechanisms are shaping the development of the biogas and biomethane sectors across Europe. It covers four essential topics: 1) Functioning of state aids; 2) Types of Support Schemes; 3) Cross-Country analyses and 4) Full Country Analyses of 23 Member States. Only Czechia, Hungary, and Denmark met the May transposition deadline. Most Member States are still in the process. Major barriers include legal uncertainty, inconsistent GHG accounting methodologies, unclear feedstock classification and eligibility. The full report is available for members only.
U.S. renewable gas production potential grows amid decarbonization push
The American Gas Foundation (AGF) has released its updated assessment of renewable natural gas (RNG) supply potential, showing that U.S. production capacity could more than quadruple by 2050 under an ambitious decarbonization scenario. The study finds that RNG could play a major role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across hard-to-decarbonize sectors, particularly in residential, commercial, and industrial heating as well as transportation. The report outlines three production scenarios—Low, High, and Ambitious Emissions Reduction. In the Low Scenario, RNG production could reach about one-third of current residential gas use by 2050. under the most aggressive net-zero-oriented pathway, RNG supply could meet roughly 146% of current residential gas demand. These gains are driven by an expanded range of feedstocks. The study considers also synthetic RNG created by combining renewable hydrogen with captured carbon dioxide in a methanation process.
Biogas, biomethane can meet 8% of Türkiye’s gas needs, say experts
Ali Rıza Öner, chairman of the Association of Waste Management and Waste-to-Energy Producers said that Türkiye is home to 269 biogas and biomass plants. “In 2024, around 3.17 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity were generated from domestic solid waste, while biogas and biomass facilities produced a total of approximately 8.6 billion kilowatt-hours”, he added. These figures clearly demonstrate the significant contribution of domestic waste to overall biomass-based electricity generation.
Primary end-use of biogas captured in the USA
The American Biogas Council (ABC)’s July edition of its monthly Data Digest takes a look at how the 725 billion cubic feet of biogas captured each year by U.S. anaerobic digesters and landfill gas facilities is used. In 2019, over 90% of biogas capture systems produced power (electricity and/or heat), and 8% produced RNG. Since then, 90+% of new systems constructed have been designed to produce RNG, and some power systems have been converted to RNG. Today, nearly one-quarter (23%) of all biogas capture systems make RNG. Looking at the new systems in 2024, only seven of 125 new systems commissioned use their biogas to produce electricity and/or heat. The remaining 118 biogas capture systems opened in 2024 are all dedicated to RNG production. In terms of biogas volume, the shift is even more striking. In 2019, just 17% of biogas captured was converted to RNG, but by the end of 2024 this proportion rose to 40%. This shift primarily happened due to changes in two sectors, agriculture and landfill.
Cultivation figures for renewable raw materials in agriculture in Germany
Since 2011, the area under cultivation for renewable raw materials has fluctuated between around 2.3 and 2.8 million hectares, which corresponds to between 20 and 24 percent of arable land. The figures for 2024 show a decline in industrial crop cultivation, which had always been above 200,000 hectares since 2006. This mark was not reached in 2023 and 2024. The reason for this is the weak economic development of the chemical industry. However, energy crop cultivation has also been declining since 2023, which correlates with the beginning of the dismantling of biogas plants. Regardless of this, energy crops for biogas plants remain by far the largest item among renewable raw material crops with 2 Mio hectares.
More (in German)
AEO 2025 Trends: Enhanced Decarbonization Opportunities
As part of OnLocation’s weekly “AEO 2025 Trends” series, one blog examines the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) 2025 projections with a focus on model enhancements that improve the representation of hydrogen markets, carbon capture technologies, and the industrial sector. These projections rely on the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS), a U.S. energy-economic model. However, with the rapidly changing regulatory and policy landscape, such as those included in the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the AEO scenarios may quickly become outmoded.