The Czech Ministry of Environment, in cooperation with the Ministries of Industry, Trade, and Agriculture, has unveiled an ambitious Action Plan for the Development of Biomethane Use by 2030. This framework aims to boost domestic biomethane production, enhance energy security, and accelerate decarbonisation in hard-to-electrify sectors such as heavy transport, heating, and specific industrial processes.

6 measures

The plan builds on the Czech National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) and responds to EU directives (RED III, REPowerEU). Its objectives include replacing over 10% of current natural gas consumption with biomethane and meeting a 30.1% renewable energy share in gross final energy consumption by 2030. Among the key measures:

• Transformation of biogas plants Around half of the 574 existing Czech biogas facilities will be upgraded to biomethane production units. The target is to have at least 100 biomethane plants operational by 2029, delivering over 491 million Nm³/year.
• Network integration Technical and regulatory frameworks will simplify connections to the gas grid, allowing injection of biomethane into medium- and high-pressure systems.
• Operational and investment support From 2026, a system of auction-based bonuses will provide long-term price stability. Investment incentives under the GREENGAS programme and OP TAK aim to de-risk new projects and infrastructure expansion.
• Guarantees of origin and sustainability certification A national system aligned with EU standards will ensure traceability and compliance with greenhouse gas reduction criteria.
• Transport decarbonisation obligations Gas suppliers must secure a renewable fuels share in transport – starting at 1.25% in 2026, rising to 5.5% by 2030, with at least 1% from renewable hydrogen or synthetic fuels.
• Demand-side measures Subsidies for purchasing CNG/LNG trucks and buses, support for bio-LNG liquefaction infrastructure, and administrative streamlining of permitting processes.

Opportunities and lessons to be learned

Romania is well-positioned to draw strategic lessons from the Czech plan, given similar agricultural structures, underutilized waste streams, and a still-modest biomethane sector. An EBRD study shows that there is a huge potential in Romania for biomethane production with waste and manure recovery and plant residues playing crucial roles.

Although there are several biogas production facilities, used for cogeneration or just to produce electricity, there is no biomethane production facility in Romania, according to the country’s National Energy Strategy. To increase the overall share of renewable energy sources and to decrease the methane emissions, the latest NECP of Romania includes an objective of achieving 5% share of biomethane in natural gas network by 2030 and 10% by 2050.

Such a production goal backed by legislation and EU-aligned obligations for fuel suppliers is a crucial signal to investors. However, there are no binding sub-targets for biomethane injection in the strategic documents. While Czechia aligns fuel suppliers’ obligations with RED III targets. Romania has yet to establish a mandatory biomethane quota, leaving demand signals weak, especially for heavy transport.

In terms of support mechanisms, the Czech auction-based bonus and dedicated funds bridge the gap between production costs and market prices. Romania’s current support schemes focus on electricity generation, not upgrading biogas to biomethane. At the same time, CO₂ capture from biogas upgrading (BECCS/BECCU technologies) is still absent from Romanian debates. Its potential as an extra revenue stream and a way to enhance negative emissions could become a strong differentiator.

Already, some players, like BSOG Energy and ENGIE Romania are starting to invest in this new and promising market.