Dr. Ciara Beausang:

Maybe clarification about the renewable energy directive is needed. Biomethane is produced from biological resources. The emissions, such as carbon dioxide, when the biomethane is combusted are not counted under the renewable energy directive. There is no source of emissions at that stage of the life cycle. More important to the consideration of emissions would be the processes leading up to the production of that biomethane, such as grass silage that uses fertiliser as an input or the processes from the AD plant and potential methane losses. Those areas are the largest contributors to the carbon footprint of the biomethane that is produced, but given that it is a biological fuel, no emissions are counted from the point of combustion.