The relevance of biomass‐based gases as energy carriers: A review

Abstract

Climate change and the consequences of the energy crisis on the European energy markets require action to decrease the dependence on fossil fuels. Biomass-based green gases can contribute to emission reduction goals and are therefore considered as essential energy carriers in the future energy system. The core objective of this work is a literature review on biomass-based green gases covering important economic, environmental and policy-related aspects of their use as energy carriers. The main obstacles to rapid deployment are the economic and environmental uncertainties. The production costs for biomethane and bio-SNG vary from 51 to 134 EUR₂₀₂₀/MWh depending on the technology, size of the plant, and feedstock utilized. The current production costs are not economically feasible without policy support. Carbon taxes and incentives can act as effective measures to promote biomass-based gases. Emission reductions for production and consumption are in the range of 45%–90% compared to natural gas and fossil-based hydrogen. The system borders significantly affect the results, making it difficult to compare the findings from different studies. Therefore, more research needs to be conducted to evaluate the economic uncertainties for investors as well as the environmental impact of biomass-based green gases. This article is categorized under: Sustainable Energy > Bioenergy.