Because of the current financial and economic crisis, 2009 is forecasted to be year of economic recession, with the expected consequences on production and growth, and an accompanying oil price collapse. When fossil energy is getting cheaper and cheaper, financial means are reduced. Could this scenario worry renewable energy projects that need European political financial support ?

Anne Houtman was very clear about it. Of course, presently oil prices have reached rock bottom but this will not go on forever. When economic recovery happens, oil-producing countries will have to raise oil prices to follow the upward movement. So, on the contrary, public authorities should transform the challenge into an opportunity to put Europe on the path of long-term sustainable development. The point is to support research activity as well as innovation projects and demonstration sites related to renewable energies with the aim of stabilising and decreasing energy demand.

In January 2008, the European Commission stated that each move to address climate change had to be viewed as an opportunity for economic growth (Communication of 23.01.08 – COM (2008) 30 : « 2020 by 2020 – Europe’s climate change opportunity »). In a communication on October the 29th, 2008 (COM (2008) 706) « From financial crisis to recovery : a European framework for action »), the Commission stood by this position, and added that « enhancing European competitiveness by continuing to green our economy would be a way of creating new jobs and new technologies ».

In order to be ready to take advantage of the next economic recovery, we have to maintain our efforts into development, demonstrations and sharing experiences of good practices. Europe will still support this kind of projects and the EIB (European Investment Bank) will not back out of its obligation : « … there is money for good projects » Anne Houtman said.

This prospect is more than encouraging for the future of biomethane. The potential for development is high both at the level of vehicles, which we must make more efficient, and at the level of users, including fleet managers of local authorities. There are many reasons for fleet managers and local authorities to be attracted by the virtuous circle environmental benefits of biomethane production. Biogas as a vehicle fuel not only allows the reduction of emissions of CO2 from public transport, but at the same time gives a response to the recycling of urban organic waste.

Small and medium-sized local authorities could aid the development of biomethane as a vehicle fuel. But their limited size may be an obstacle to the development of CNG vehicles fleets in their areas. Their need for clean buses being limited, they are not able to acquire CNG buses. “A manufacturer will not get involved in the production of small quantities(…) or the former will make an offer at a prohibitive cost ” Anne Houtman recognizes.

With the aim of tackling this problem, very soon, a dedicated website for local authorities will be created, in order to support clean vehicles. This site will stimulate joint procurement and will be consequently a way to get more competitive prices through economies of scale. Anne Houtman stated that this eagerly awaited tool is "scheduled in the program of work of 2009".

Concerning the European harmonisation of CNG vehicles standards, Anne Houtman specifies that, even if the process is long, the European Normalisation Committee has been working on that issue. This could lead to some harmonised standards in the next few years, which will contribute the CNG vehicles market to develop.

More informations in the Newsletter “Biogasmax News” of february 2009