Biomethane is a strategic solution and opportunity for Spain

On November 19, the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Murcia (UMU) hosted the conference “Biomethane and Territory: Keys for a Sustainable and Participatory Energy Transition in the Region of Murcia,” an event co-organized by the University of Murcia (UMU) and AHMUR, the Green Hydrogen and Renewable Gases Sector Association of the Region of Murcia.

The session brought together institutional, scientific, and business representatives, as well as stakeholders from the agricultural and livestock sectors, environmental organizations, and citizen platforms. The event was designed to address the deployment of biomethane from technical, environmental, and social perspectives, encouraging the exchange of viewpoints and constructive dialogue.

A plural space to advance the energy transition

The institutional opening was led by Guillermo Díaz Baños, Dean of the UMU Faculty of Chemistry, and Juan Antonio Mata, Director-General for the Environment of the Region of Murcia. They highlighted the need to strengthen spaces for knowledge and participation in order to approach the energy transition with a territorial perspective. This was followed by two keynote lectures, delivered by Prof. Antonia Baeza from UMU and Eduardo Piné, president of AHMUR, who delved respectively into the scientific foundations and regulatory framework of biomethane.

A roundtable discussion followed, featuring:

• Antonio Illescas, Director of Business Development and Biomethane Operations at Enagás Renovab
• Félix Navarro, representing ASAJA MurciA
• Prof. Antonia Baeza, Professor of Chemical Engineering at UMU
• Pedro Luengo, spokesperson for Ecologistas en Acción
• Nuria Velázquez, representative of the coordinator of neighborhood platforms

This diverse panel created a space where science, industrial experience, citizen perspectives, and environmental advocacy could engage in dialogue about the role of biomethane in the region’s energy future.

Biomethane: innovation, decarbonization, and territorial development

Representing Enagás Renovable, Antonio Illescas focused his remarks on the strategic value of biomethane within Spain’s energy model:
“For Spain, biomethane is not only an energy alternative; it is a solution and a strategic opportunity.”

Illescas stressed that this technology makes it possible to repurpose waste from more than 3,000 existing livestock farms in the Region of Murcia and transform it into dispatchable renewable energy, contributing to emissions reduction, resource circularity, and the creation of local economic activity. “What only a few years ago was considered an emerging technology is today a real opportunity for sustainability and territorial development,” he added.

A mature technology in Europe

Illescas also placed biomethane in the European context, where there are already more than 1,700 operational plants, and countries such as France, Denmark, and Italy have integrated it into their energy mix, demonstrating its technological maturity, safety, and efficiency.

He highlighted one of biomethane’s main advantages: its compatibility with existing gas infrastructure, allowing for progressive integration without the need for new large-scale investments.

Commitment to dialogue, responsibility, and participation

Looking ahead, Illescas emphasized that the rollout of biomethane must be grounded in technical rigor, transparency, and genuine participation:
“Biomethane will only be a real solution if it is built through dialogue, shared responsibility, and commitment among public administrations, industry, the primary sector, the scientific community, and citizens,” he concluded.

The event ended with a shared message: the energy transition cannot be addressed solely from a technological standpoint; it must be built through cooperation, information, and active listening.

Biomethane thus emerges as a driver of sustainability, industrial competitiveness, and territorial development—a source of renewable energy capable of contributing decisively to climate goals, provided its implementation advances through dialogue and commitment to the surroundinnvg eironment.