Sweden’s gas industry has received a much-anticipated commitment: its government is introducing long-term support for biogas production (2022-2040) to create a circular economy and switch to more sustainable energy in the transport sector and industry.

Sweden is thus taking an important step towards transitioning to a fossil-free and circular welfare society in the future. By making the best use of waste and residual products, energy, fuel, plant nutrients and raw materials for the industry can be produced. Through promised investments in the infrastructure necessary for the production of biogas, this goal is now becoming realisable in Sweden.

In road transport as well as in shipping and industry, there is growing interest and demand for renewable alternatives such as biogas. Since there is no universal solution that can replace the fossil fuels used today, both biogas and other renewable alternatives are needed.

Thanks to the funding, biogas can now be used as a targeted alternative technology that is ready for use and can therefore contribute to the change so urgently needed.

Biogas is crucial for achieving the our environmental and climate goals and deserves to be valued accordingly. In Sweden, food scraps, sewage, manure and other residual products can become renewable energy and in this way simultaneously solve waste problems and produce biofertilizer for organic food. Rural areas meet the city in a cycle with unique social benefits and great development potential. Biogas is the practice of the circular economy.

The new promotion of biogas accelerates the long-term vision of NGVA Europe member Energigas Sverige called „Green Gas 2050“. It describes how Sweden can reach a carbon neutral industrial with gas, fossil-free road transport, heat and electricity sector with gas as well as a cleaner maritime sector with gas.

So far, Sweden only realised 5-10 per cent of the technical potential by 2030, but with the overall investment and long-term production support, suggested by the Biogas Market Survey in 2019, development can begin in earnest.