November 4th, European Parliament, Brussels
Room: Antall 6Q1
Hosted by MEP Paulo do Nascimento Cabral, MEP Paulo Cunha and Floene Energias, this conference will take place at the European Parliament on 4 November to explore the challenges, opportunities and policy tools needed to scale up biomethane across the European Union.
Biomethane is set to play a strategic role in Europe’s energy transition and in achieving climate neutrality. Agriculture, as the primary source of biomethane production, is central to this effort – yet significant disparities remain among Member States, with some leading the way and others still with considerable untapped potential.
Organised in partnership with Gas Distributors for Sustainability (GD4S) and the Portuguese Farmers’ Confederation (CAP), the event will bring together representatives from the agricultural sector and experts from the energy industry, alongside policymakers, to discuss how cooperation between these fields can unlock the full potential of biomethane. Particular emphasis will be placed on the need for coordination between agriculture and energy, as well as on European policies, national market dynamics and the instruments available to accelerate the adoption of this renewable energy source.
Agenda of the Conference
– Opening Session
– Paulo Cunha, Member of the European Parliament, Head of the PSD Delegation
– Paulo do Nascimento Cabral, Member of the European Parliament of Portugal
– Keynote Address | The Role of the Agriculture Sector in Biomethane Production
– Henrique Ramos Vicente, Coordinator of the Agriculture Affairs, Permanent Representation of Portugal to the European Union (in representation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Portugal)
– Keynote Address | The Energy Sector as an Enabler of Biomethane Development
– João Rui Ferreira, Secretary of State for the Economy of Portugal – Remote participation
– Panel 1 | Europe’s Framework and Vision for Biomethane Growth
– Edith Hofer, Deputy Head of Unit, DG Energy, Decarbonisation and Sustainability of Energy Sources, European Commission
– Representative from the Permanent Representation of Denmark in the EU
– Paulo do Nascimento Cabral, Member of the European Parliament
– Panel 2 | Accelerating Biomethane: Challenges, Success Stories and Scalable Solutions
– Duarte Mira, Representative of the Brussels Delegation, Portuguese Farmers’ Confederation (CAP)
– Raúl Suárez, Board Member, Gas Distributors for Sustainability (GD4S)
– Gabrielle Gauthey, Senior Vice-President for European Public Affairs, TotalEnergies
– Piotr Całbecki, President of the Commission for Natural Resources, European Committee of the Regions
– Technical Keynote Address | Biomethane: From Agricultural Waste to Biofertilizer
– Anna Venturini, Policy Director, European Biogas Association (EBA)
– Closing Remarks
– Gabriel Sousa, CEO, Floene
*Programme under development. The event will be held in English.
Visit to a Biomethane Production Facility
Biométhane du Bois d’Arnelle (BBA)
Rue Octave Staumont 69, 6210 Les Bons Villers, Belgique
BBA is the first newly constructed biomethanation facility in Brussels, specifically designed for the production and injection of biomethane derived from agricultural and agri-food residues. In addition to biomethane, BBA also produces digestate – a natural fertilizer widely used in agriculture. Operations began in August 2021, and the facility currently generates over 1,500 m³ of biomethane per hour and 55,000 tonnes of digestate annually. Located in Les Bons Villers, BBA works hand in hand with 180 farming families from the region to produce renewable gas.
Programme of the visit
Departure from the European Parliament: 13:30
Arrival to the European Parliament: 17:30 (indicative)
The visit to the biomethane facility will be conducted in English and will include transportation and a light lunch.
**Participation in the visit to the biomethane production facility is subject to limited availability. We invite you to register your interest in attending. Please note that participation will be confirmed by the organisers and is dependent on available capacity.
Please register for the event and indicate your interest in attending the visit
here.
For any questions or issues, please contact
assuntos.europeus@floene.pt
The Privacy Policy for the event Unlocking Biomethane: A Successful Partnership Between Farmers and Energy Players is available here.