Ref. Ares(2022)4148847 - 03/06/2022
EU climate and energy targets and reinforcing EU security of supply, in a flexible and cost-effective
way.
DSOs are already contributing to decarbonisation thanks to the increasing volumes of biomethane
being injected into the gas grids. Accelerating biomethane production as of today and getting ready
for green hydrogen tomorrow is at the core of the European energy strategy towards decarbonisation.
These renewable gases play a significant role in reducing the EU’s dependencies on fossil fuels, thus
enhancing the EU’s security of supply.
Existing gas DSO grids can easily and immediately accommodate the expected growing volumes of low
carbon and renewable gases without additional large-scale investments. In conjunction with existing
storage capacities, gas grids can provide the necessary flexibility to manage the increasing variability
of renewable electricity supply, in a cost-efficient way, as set out in the Smart Sector Integration
Strategy.
Leveraging the value of gas grids is therefore crucial to achieving the ambitions of REPowerEU.
An enabling regulatory framework is crucial to deliver
Despite grid readiness, a clear European regulatory framework and incentives are needed to massively
scale-up biomethane production and injection to achieve REPowerEU’s 35 bcm target by 2030.
Such a strong ambition must now be matched with concrete measures to support the production of
biomethane and green hydrogen as well as their injection into the gas grids.
From this perspective, GD4S invites the Commission to consider the following measures:
1) Establish an appropriate regulatory framework to facilitate the injection of biomethane into
the existing gas infrastructure
Key EU legislation for the gas sector should align with the newly stated ambitions of RePowerEU on
biomethane and hydrogen;
→ Translate the target of 35 bcm biomethane into
a binding EU wide objective, in the revision
of the Renewable Energy Directive and in the Gas Package, that should be further reflected
into Member States National Energy and Climate Plans;
→ EU legislation
should support the DSOs in overcoming technical and economic aspects related to connecting biomethane plants to the gas grids, metering, and quality control
(planification with DSO/TSO cooperation, tariffs and investment decisions for grid connections
and reinforcement, gas quality control procedures, etc.).
→ Cooperation among gas DSOs should be encouraged, for instance through the
implementation of a dedicated EU DSO entity.
→ Establish Guarantees of Origins (GO) for all renewable gases to increase the demand and
encourage investment in the sector.
The GO should include the GHG emissions reduction of
the renewable gas calculated on a life-cycle basis. The system should be consumer oriented
and user friendly to increase transparency for the consumers and avoid burden or barriers for
the producers.
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More about GD4S:
GD4S represents the leading natural gas distributors in France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Portugal
and Romania. Together, we represent 27.7 million customers in Europe (around 30% of the European
market). Gas distributors are responsible for operating the gas distribution network, ensuring its
maintenance, and its development. We are responsible for safely distributing natural and renewable
gas to consumers.
Transparency Register number: 382692732615
Contact: Pers. data redacted
Pers. data redacted
Pers. data redacted @gd4s.eu
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