For two intense days, the three pavilions of the Valladolid Trade Fair were buzzing with activity, with packed aisles and numerous business contacts foreshadowing new projects in the coming months. The growth of the exhibition space and the diversity of participating companies reflect the momentum the biogas and biomethane sector has gained in Spain.
Spain, European leader in new investments
In the opening address of the congress, Angela Sanz, of the European Biogas Association, He highlighted that Spain will be the leading recipient of private investment in new biomethane plants in Europe. Our country already has more than 200 biogas plants and 17 biomethane plants in operation, and more than 270 projects in the permitting or construction phase, demonstrating exponential growth: in 2019 there was only one plant injecting gas into the grid, and today there are nearly 20.
Javier Díaz, president of AVEBIOM, pointed out that “This edition has been the most participatory to date, with new technologies and an atmosphere of trust that demonstrates that the sector is beginning an orderly and sustained deployment”. For its part, Luis Puchades, The president of AEBIG stressed that “Biomethane is already a lever for sustainability and the primary sector in our country. The Show has highlighted the capacity of our companies and the need to move forward hand in hand with the agricultural sector to guarantee social acceptance and the success of the projects.”.
Biomethane: energy, rural development and social acceptance
The congress's roundtables focused on two key issues: the state of the sector and the social responsibility of new plants. Project promoters agreed that the sector is "progressing adequately" and stressed the need to consider the digested not as a by-product, but as a valuable resource for agricultural fertilization and the reduction of aquifer pollution, in line with the valorization strategies promoted by communities such as Catalonia or Castile and León.
There was also consensus that the success of biomethane depends on involving farmers and ranchers from the outset of each project and clearly communicating the local benefits. “Biogas and biomethane plants are not the problem, they are part of the solution,” as a representative from the agricultural sector pointed out.
In the words of Javier Díaz, “we must convey to society what these plants truly are: clean and controlled industrial facilities that treat waste to convert it into energy and organic fertilizers. Their function is precisely to prevent the pollution that is already occurring today due to the improper management of slurry and manure.”.
Institutional commitment and future
The public administrations present at the congress agreed that biomethane is already a strategic vector of the energy transition. The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) announced that it is working on new fiscal measures and incentives for consumption, while regions such as Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia, and Catalonia presented their specific strategies for integrating biomethane into their energy and bioeconomy plans.
A key event for an expanding sector
Five years after its first edition, the Renewable Gas Show confirms itself as the great showcase of innovation in biogas, biomethane, biofertilizers and other renewable gases and the essential meeting point for companies, administrations and the primary sector around a common goal: Decarbonizing the Spanish economy by leveraging local resources and generating value in rural areas. “Biomethane is no longer a promise, but an expanding reality. Spain has the opportunity to lead this transition in Europe towards cleaner, more circular energy that is closer to the land.”, concludes Javier Díaz, president of AVEBIOM.
The event also included a moving tribute to Roman Monastery Larrinaga, historical vice president of AVEBIOM, who passed away in August 2025, to whom the Promote Bioenergy Award 2025 for its pioneering role in promoting the sector in Spain.