IGU urges more action on low-carbon gases
The International Gas Union (IGU) published a report on November 10 calling for greater policy focus on the development of low-carbon gases such as biogas and hydrogen.
Sustainable biogas production could replace about 20% of current natural gas demand, the IGU said, but the current production pipeline is 20 times smaller than this. And while countries across the world have positioned hydrogen as a core part of their energy transition strategies, the increase in low-carbon hydrogen production has been very small over the past five years.
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"The current level of planned and installed production capacity for renewable and low-carbon gases appears negligible compared to the stated plans, and that must be changed," IGU president Joe Kang said in a statement. "This report is a call to action on all fronts - policy, industry, and the financial community. We all need to play our part if there really will be a practicable gaseous energy revolution."
The IGU said that while interest was much stronger among policymakers in hydrogen rather than bio-methane, the latter is produced in far greater quantity and so should get greater recognition in the near-term policy agenda, it said.
"Given the scale of the decarbonisation challenge, and the need for as many workable solutions as possible to ease the pains of a global energy transition, all forms of renewable gas should be pursued as quickly as possible," the IGU said. "This will require strong and clear policy support from governments globally, robust entrepreneurial initiative from the incumbent industry players and disruptors alike."
The organisation also stressed the importance of access to capital in realising projects.