Shaping Renewable Gas Future: Biomethane and Green Hydrogen in Focus

At the Energy Week Black Sea 2025, discussions on green hydrogen and biomethane highlighted Romania’s potential to lead in renewable gas development while addressing pressing challenges. Experts across the panel shared insights into the opportunities and obstacles that define the path forward for these transformative energy sources.

Evangelos Gazis, Head of Southeast Europe at Aurora Energy Research, emphasised the economic and technical challenges of scaling up green hydrogen. “The cost gap between green hydrogen production and the willingness of industrial users to pay remains significant,” he noted. However, he expressed optimism that increased adoption would drive cost reductions over time, paralleling developments in battery technology. Gazis highlighted Romania’s ambition to deploy 2.1 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030, albeit noting that infrastructure and demand-side policies remain critical hurdles.

Dr. Neil Carmichael from Pacific Green brought a global perspective, comparing Romania’s renewable energy trajectory to rapid advances in markets like China and the UK. He noted that while hydrogen has its merits, other fuels like methanol, already being adopted in hard-to-abate sectors, might compete strongly. “Hydrogen transport and storage challenges are significant, making methanol a liquid alternative worth exploring,” Carmichael suggested, referencing Maersk’s pivot to methanol for shipping.

The session spotlighted biomethane as a highly viable avenue for Romania. Oana Ijdelea, representing Black Sea Oil & Gas, shared her company’s efforts in pioneering biomethane projects. “Romania has immense feedstock potential, second only to Poland in the region,” she stated. Black Sea Oil & Gas is already developing multiple projects, including a partnership with Romania’s largest cow milk producer. However, Ijdelea identified regulatory inertia as a key obstacle, advocating for swift amendments to Romania’s gas laws to recognise biomethane as a renewable energy source.

Mats Lundin, Vice President at Emergy, highlighted grid connectivity issues as a bottleneck for renewable energy expansion. “Without a robust transmission network, renewable electricity production—and its conversion to green hydrogen—remains constrained,” he warned. Lundin also underscored the need for a collaborative approach between developers and policymakers to unlock Romania’s renewable energy potential.

The panel’s consensus was clear: Romania’s renewable gas future hinges on aligning regulatory frameworks, accelerating infrastructure investments, and fostering public-private partnerships. As Ijdelea concluded, “We are confident that in two years, Romania will have a functional biomethane industry, but this requires a collective push across all stakeholders.”

Romania’s renewable energy pioneers are paving the way for a decarbonised future, but the race to meet European Green Deal targets demands a faster pace and decisive action. The session closed with a call for greater ambition and urgency in transforming Romania’s energy landscape.