Natural Gas as a Gateway for Renewable Gas in Transport

Abstract

Mobility with biomethane is already a reality in many countries in Europe, while in others it is just the beginning. Biomethane is a green and clean fuel which is obtained from the biogas produced by the anaerobic decomposition of the organic matter present in urban waste, sewage water and agricultural, livestock and forest residues. To generate biomethane, the biogas undergoes a process called upgrading. It is a process of elimination of different components such as CO 2 , which can be used to obtain synthetic natural gas. Biomethane is perfectly compat-ible with natural gas; it can be injected in the pipeline grid or used directly as fuel in a vehicle, generating a null CO 2 balance or even negative depending on the type of residue it originated from. Biomethane represents a real solution to decarbonise transport. However, applying this solution depends mainly on public policies and the commitment at national and European level. This chapter will analyse the impulse models for the production of biomethane and its use as fuel for the transport sector. In addition, it will assess whether the development of this market would be possible without public support by creating a product ruled exclusively by the market.