The Central European Initiative launched the first Danube Biomethane Hub meeting on 24 May 2023, organised within the framework of the GreenMeUp project.

Relevant actors representing all the stages of the biomethane value chains in Hungary, Romania and Serbia were invited to analyse the framework conditions and market dynamics in the Danube region, an area with currently low biomethane production but high market potentials, and to jointly elaborate on a set of policy recommendations to prompt market uptake and improve public acceptance of biogas.

Best practices for biomethane supportive policies in leading EU countries were shared by the European Biogas Association policy officer, followed by an overview of biomethane market potential in three Danube region countries presented by distinguished professors from the University of Szeged, the University of Life Sciences in Timisoara, and the University of Novi Sad respectively.

Representatives from three bioeconomy pillars – policy, market and social – had the chance to discuss diverse opportunities but also the key barriers of biomethane production process in their countries. Being recognized as a locality of great biomass potential, the need for further policy support and wider societal acceptance remains in order to foster renewable energy market in the Danube region.