{"id":5572,"date":"2026-01-27T11:13:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T10:13:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biorig.energy\/from-methane-to-biomethane-a-solution-to-an-urgent-climate-challenge\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T10:19:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T09:19:34","slug":"from-methane-to-biomethane-a-solution-to-an-urgent-climate-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biorig.energy\/en\/from-methane-to-biomethane-a-solution-to-an-urgent-climate-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"From methane to biomethane: a solution to an urgent climate challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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Methane is responsible for one-third of current global warmin<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Madrid, 28-01-26.<\/strong> Every 28 January, International CO\u2082 Emissions Reduction Day is celebrated. However, there is still one major omission from the climate debate: methane. This gas has a global warming potential more than 80 times greater than CO\u2082 in the short term and, according to the United Nations, is responsible for around a third of current global warming. Taking action on methane is not only necessary: it is the fastest and most effective way to slow global warming in this critical decade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest report, An Eye on Methane 2025<\/strong>,<\/a> published by the United Nations Environment Programme, clearly defines it: reducing methane emissions is the climate’s \u2018emergency brake\u2019. Unlike CO\u2082, which remains in the atmosphere for centuries, methane has a much shorter atmospheric lifetime. This means that reducing its emissions generates almost immediate climate benefits. The report also highlights that mature, available and low-cost solutions exist to achieve this, especially in sectors where emissions are diffuse and avoidable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A structural problem affecting the countryside<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In this context, the agricultural and livestock sector is currently the main source of methane emissions both globally and in Spain, where there are nearly 270 million head of cattle. According to the latest data from the National Statistics Institute (INE),<\/a> in 2024 the sector was the leading source of methane emissions, with 904,558.7 tonnes of methane released into the atmosphere. A large part of these emissions come from the uncontrolled decomposition of slurry, manure and other organic waste, which constantly release methane without any energy recovery and with a direct impact on the climate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Direct emissions of methane into the atmosphere are 80 times more harmful than CO2<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Farmers and livestock breeders operate under increasingly stringent regulations and with limited resources, making this a structural and systemic challenge for all societies. Every year, millions of tonnes of agricultural and livestock waste are generated, which must be managed in a context of greater environmental, regulatory and social pressure. Addressing this challenge<\/a> requires collective, technologically mature and environmentally effective solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From diffuse emission to energy resource<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From a climate perspective, methane emissions associated with traditional waste management are a cause for alarm. From an energy perspective, they represent a key opportunity. The methane that is currently emitted unchecked is, in fact, renewable energy that is being lost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where anaerobic digestion and biomethane establish themselves as an immediate and proven solution. Anaerobic digestion is a technology that has been developed in Europe for decades, based on a controlled biological process, in the absence of oxygen, which transforms organic waste into biogas \u2014 composed mainly of methane \u2014 and into a stabilised digested material. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applied to slurry, manure and agricultural waste, this technology captures methane before it is emitted into the atmosphere, significantly reducing emissions associated with its management, minimising odours and transforming problematic waste into two key resources: renewable energy and organic fertiliser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Biorig model: immediate, local and circular management <\/strong> <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At Biorig, we tackle this challenge from an integrated, local industrial perspective. We exclusively manage agricultural and livestock waste (slurry, manure and straw), avoiding prolonged storage and diffuse methane emissions. The captured biogas<\/a>\u2014with an approximate composition of 55% methane\u2014is transformed into biomethane, a locally produced renewable gas that is injected into the network and made available to households and industries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the process does not end there. The resulting digestate undergoes additional treatments that allow it to be transformed into certified organic fertilisers<\/a> in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019\/1009. These products are returned to the field with traceability, known composition and regulatory compliance, facilitating more orderly nutrient management and contributing to compliance with regulations on sustainable soil nutrition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This closes the nutrient cycle, improves soil fertility, reduces emissions associated with the manufacture of conventional fertilisers and returns value to the land. It is an approach that is fully aligned with the principles of the circular economy and sustainable intensification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A strategic part of the energy transition <\/strong> <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beyond waste management, biomethane plays a strategic role in the energy transition. It is a renewable, storable and manageable energy source, compatible with existing gas infrastructure and particularly relevant for decarbonising applications that are difficult to electrify, such as certain industrial processes and heavy transport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curbing methane emissions, optimising waste management in the primary sector and generating value in rural areas is not a promise for the future. It is a reality available today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With mature technology, dialogue with the region and a stable regulatory framework that provides certainty, Spain has the opportunity to turn one of its main environmental challenges into a lever for sustainability, quality employment and rural development. Taking action on methane means taking action on climate change. And doing so now makes all the difference. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

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