What Will Be the Future of Biogas Sector?

Latvia, like many other European Member States, faces major challenges in achieving climate goals within the Paris Agreement – emission reduction for 50–55 % by 2030 and net-zero emission economy by 2050. Decarbonization of the energy sector is one of the main aims and sustainable use of biogas is one of the ways to reach these targets. Although the biogas sector in Latvia is now mainly based on the production of electricity and heat in cogeneration plants, often using specially grown energy crops, and payments of the mandatory procurement component have expired, biogas plants are preparing for reconstruction for the production of biomethane with the help of European fund investments.

It means that the biogas sector is moving towards a completely different operating model, based primarily on the management of agricultural waste as a feedstock, the conversion of biogas to biomethane and it is used mainly in the transport sector, but its implementation in practical terms faces various challenges. In this context, this article offers a clear vision of the development of the biogas sector in the next decade in Latvia. It uses a sustainability SWOT analysis to clearly reflect the sector’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.