Energinet gets green light to improve biogas uptake by Danish network

Danish electricity and gas grid operator Energinet will build a total of seven facilities aimed at ensuring that local biogas production is sent around the country.

An investment of DKK 773 million (USD 113m/EUR 104m) in the facilities has been approved by Denmark's Minister for Climate, Energy, and Utilities, Lars Aagaard, it was announced on Monday.

Denmark’s gas system was designed to transport natural gas from the North Sea to consumers locally. Now, biogas is being produced around the country and fed into the local network. In order for this gas to reach the transmission pipelines and travel around the country, new facilities are needed to compress it and raise the pressure. In this way trapping the biogas in local “pockets” is prevented.

The minister described the move as killing three birds with one stone – advancing climate goals by displacing fossil gas, removing dependence on Russian gas, and benefiting the economy.

Denmark has significantly increased its biogas production in recent years to see it account for 34% of the country’s gas consumption by the end of 2022.

The seven facilities are expected to be ready in 2025-2026. The industry and the authorities are, in the meantime, cooperating on temporary measures to mitigate biogas pockets in the short term.

(DKK 1 = USD 0.146/EUR 0.134)

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!