The methane supply chain, from production to transport and consumption, in the light of the EU strategy

This paper presents the results of the project work for the Luiss Business School Executive Master in Circular Economy - Energy and Waste Management. It aims to provide a framework of the methane supply chain, from production to transport and consumption, in the light of the EU Strategy, highlighting the transversal and multidisciplinary nature of the matter. In fact, there are many aspects to focus on, also considering the recent financial opportunities due to the economic and social crisis caused by the pandemic. They range from the legislation on environmental protection, which identifies assessment, management, and monitoring tools for corporate sustainability, passing through the recent developments in engineering to manage methane emissions. As illustrated in the European Green Deal, renewable energy / renewable gases should play a vital role in the future decarbonized Europe. The contribution of renewable sources is increasing, and the perspective is to produce green energy and bio-based feedstock from them in a productive circular system and on proximity dimension. The investments in innovative and renewable technologies will guarantee a reliable and safe supply of energy and the achievement of the objectives set by COP21 in Paris. A substantial improvement of ambient air quality may be reached, especially in urban areas. In the short term, the use of biofuels and renewable gas, biomethane and green hydrogen produced from renewable electricity - power-togas (P2G), can accelerate the decarbonisation. The replacement of the present linear production model to develop a low-carbon, more resourceefficient and competitive production model represents an opportunity to prevent the environmental impact in the industrial production sector. According to the circular economy's principles (CE), the end-of-life product becomes a resource to be reused, repaired, or recycled to be used again within a new production cycle (Figure 1). Thus, closed-loop supply chains cascade in recirculation paths with minimum environmental impacts. The circular economy paradigm has the advantage of integrating sustainability principles while supporting the economy. Moreover, this new paradigm decouples nonrenewable material use and GDP growth and provides new qualified job opportunities. It also makes it possible to reduce dependence on imports and to generate new economic prospects with production possibilities never before explored. Additionally, technological development with intelligent applications and a new range of "product as services" are essential to address the growing demand for energy, goods (e-commerce), sustainable management, and improvements of value chains