A European Commission study has found that biogas use has not been fully developed in Europe despite offering potential as a sustainable energy source.

The study notes that certain EU member states are not doing enough in terms of policies to support biogas development. Regulatory and technical obstacles, including ones concerning transboundary trade, are also cited.

Commenting on Greece, the Brussels study notes that a total of 18 biogas units operated in the country in 2015 for a total installed capacity of 52 MW plus 30 MW of thermal capacity. The study notes Greek biogass production in 2015 reached 168 cubic meters.

RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has issued 83 licenses for units with respective capacities of at least one MW. These licenses represent a total capacity of 441.4 MW, the study points out. HEDNO, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator, has given priority to a further 127 licenses representing 132 MW, while 21 projects with a total capacity of 33 MW have signed connection agreements, the study notes.

The Brussels study also points out that biomethane production is non-existent in Greece.