Biomethane in Portugal: Simplified Licensing under Order No. 1/2026

Joint Order No. 1/2026 (APA and DGEG) establishes a new licensing procedure for biomethane production units, a renewable gaseous fuel chemically similar to fossil natural gas. Biomethane is obtained from biogas — produced through anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste, livestock effluent, sewage sludge or urban waste, containing 50% to 70% methane — through an upgrading process that raises the methane content above 95%-97%.

The three phases of the new licensing process

• Prior registration, for capacity reservation and project recognition
• Sectoral licensing, with APA (via SILiAmb) handling environmental matters and municipalities handling urban planning permits
• Entry into operation, based on submitted licences and a declaration of conformity, overseen by DGEG

Many biomethane units are located in rural areas with challenging terrain: installing infrastructure on slopes steeper than 25% now requires compliance with soil-preservation and drainage rules, aligned with EMER 2030 guidance, particularly in National Ecological Reserve (REN) zones.