Poland’s biogas and biomethane sector could accelerate significantly if it receives a dedicated support system for biomethane plants, a demand-side mechanism encouraging grid operators to inject green gas into the network, and formal approval of the National Energy and Climate Plan, according to industry representatives. In the government’s strategic outlook, these fuels have considerable potential and, together with other renewable energy sources, could strengthen the country’s energy security.
“The potential of biogas and biomethane is substantial. Of course, it is limited by the amount of waste that can be used to produce them. Still, various studies estimate that potential at 4–8 billion cubic metres. When compared with Poland’s gas consumption, that would represent around 20–40 percent of total supply across the economy,” Adam Pawluć, member of the management board of Polska Grupa Biogazowa, one of Poland’s largest biogas producers, said.
Biogas is a mixture of gases created through the anaerobic fermentation of biomass, such as agricultural waste, municipal waste and sewage sludge. It is used directly in cogeneration to produce heat and electricity. Biomethane, by contrast, is purified biogas and requires an additional upgrading installation. According to the government’s proposed update of the National Energy and Climate Plan to 2030 with an outlook to 2040, the technical potential for biomethane production from waste-based feedstocks stands at 8 billion cubic metres, while the implementation potential is estimated at 4.7 billion cubic metres.
“Every energy source should meet three criteria: it should be sustainable, available and capable of ensuring the country’s security. There is no single source that guarantees all three, which is why the right energy mix is essential,” Pawluć said. “Biogas and biomethane make sense as part of a broader system that also includes photovoltaic farms, offshore wind and, in the future, nuclear power.”
As the draft National Energy and Climate Plan indicates, a significant share of renewable energy installations is located in rural areas, where biogas plants can play an especially important role by producing electricity and heat for local communities. This includes peak biogas plants and, in the years ahead, biomethane plants feeding upgraded gas into the gas grid. Such facilities also make it possible to use agricultural and agri-food waste residues for energy purposes.
According to the Polish Biomethane Organization’s report on the state and prospects of biomethane plants in Poland, 122 biomethane projects had been identified at various stages of development by the end of the third quarter of 2025. Medium-sized plants in the 1–5 MW range dominate the pipeline, suggesting investor preference for moderately scaled projects. One facility, located in Strzelin in Lower Silesia, is already in operation.
Data presented by KOWR show that by the end of the first quarter of 2026, 208 agricultural biogas installations were registered in Poland. Their annual production capacity exceeded 835 million cubic metres of agricultural biogas, while total installed electric capacity reached 188 MW.
“From our perspective, the market is developing in an optimal way, standing on two legs. The first consists of biogas plants integrated with farms. The second includes professionalised biogas plants, meaning larger units operated by professional energy companies,” Pawluć said during the 43rd EuroPOWER & OZE POWER Energy Conference.
Under the updated draft National Energy and Climate Plan, biogas-based capacity, excluding biomethane, is expected to reach 0.5 GW in 2030 under the market and technical transformation scenario, translating into 2.9 TWh of electricity generation. Under the accelerated transformation scenario, output would be 0.5 GW and 3.1 TWh respectively. Domestic biomethane production in 2030 is forecast at around 0.5 billion cubic metres under the first scenario and about 1 billion cubic metres under the accelerated one. By 2040, those figures are projected to reach around 0.56 billion and 3.3 billion cubic metres, depending on the scenario.
“What would provide a strong boost to market development is a support system for larger installations. The second thing, which worked in France, is the so-called blending obligation, a demand-side mechanism that encourages transmission and distribution system operators to inject green gas into the grid,” Pawluć explained. “The third issue is the approval of the National Energy and Climate Plan at the national level. It includes production targets for biogas and biomethane that would give investors, especially foreign investors, greater confidence.”
The Ministry of Climate and Environment has prepared a draft amendment to the Renewable Energy Sources Act that includes provisions intended to unlock Poland’s domestic biomethane production potential.
“The biomethane act regulates support mechanisms, but there are still several other issues that need to be resolved. The key one is calorific value. At present, when injecting biomethane into the grid, we are forced to mix it with conventional gases, which makes little sense if we produce something green only to blend it with fossil gas afterwards. These are the two most important issues,” Pawluć stressed.
The amendment to the RES Act also envisages support for biomethane in installations with installed electric capacity above 1 MW, allows all agricultural biogas plants above 1 MW to be located on the basis of a municipal council resolution, and liberalises the auction system for fuel-based sources.
“What is also important, and relevant to every renewable energy developer, is the issue of local zoning plans. Without earlier preparation and education at the municipal level, they may exclude a large number of locations from the development of renewable energy sources,” the expert added.
However, the proposed RES amendment does not concern only biogas and biomethane. It also covers onshore wind energy, which may complicate its adoption. An earlier government proposal was vetoed by President Karol Nawrocki, who supported solutions for biogas and biomethane but opposed the liberalisation of rules for onshore wind farms.
“Biomethane provisions are combined in one document with regulations governing the development of onshore wind power. This may lead to delays in the legislative process,” Pawluć said.
At the same time, administrative and technical facilitation for biogas plants is being introduced through an amendment to the Energy Law signed by the president on 2 April 2026. The new rules are intended to improve certainty of grid connection, shorten waiting times for decisions, simplify procedures and reduce formal requirements. They also strengthen the position of biogas plants within the system, including by ensuring that in crisis situations their operation will be curtailed only as a last resort. Grid operators will also be required to take the development of biogas plants into account in their investment plans, increasing the likelihood of project implementation.
