Biogas and biomethane: Trading
Who in India must now buy compressed biogas
What this tab covers How it is bought and sold: buyers and sellers, price benchmarks and who publishes them, exchanges, contract types, traders, how Indian buyers price it, recent price points, and good sources to follow.Who buys, and where
- City gas distributors and OMCs in India under the CBO
- European gas suppliers and industry buying certificates
- US fleets and CNG station operators
Who sells, and from where
- Plant owners via grid injection or cascades
- Certificate registries (guarantees of origin)
Price benchmarks
| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| SATAT / CBG-CGD pool procurement price | GAIL / OMCs | administered, linked to CNG retail price |
| European biomethane certificate prices | Argus / national registries | per MWh, by subsidy status (indicative) |
| LCFS credit price | CARB / brokers | $ per t CO2e |
Exchanges
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| none for physical biomethane | natural gas futures (TTF, Henry Hub) hedge the gas component | credit markets are bilateral or broker-run |
Contract types
- Long-term offtake with OMCs and CGDs (India)
- Grid injection tariffs or contracts for difference (EU)
- Green gas certificates traded separately from the gas
- RIN and LCFS credit sales (US)
Traders and distributors
- Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, Engie, Vitol (indicative)
- GAIL as India's CBG pool aggregator
How Indian buyers price it
- GAIL buys CBG at 85% of the average CNG retail selling price (May 2025 revision)
- CGD entities blend under the CBO and report quarterly to PPAC
- GST on biogas and CBG plant equipment cut to 5%
Recent price points
| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | 85% of average CNG retail price; reference Rs 1,478 per MMBtu | GAIL CBG procurement, India | Renewable Watch, 19 Dec 2025 (SATAT portal, IBA, GAIL data) |
| 2025 | $36-108/MWh | average world biomethane production cost | IEA Outlook for Biogas and Biomethane (May 2025), via World Biogas Association and BioCycle |
Good sources to follow
European Biogas Association statisticsfreemium research site · EBAEuropean biogas and biomethane output, plants and policy
World Biogas Associationfree research site · WBAglobal biogas policy and IEA summaries
Renewable Watchfreemium newsletter · Renewable WatchIndian CBG, SATAT and renewable energy economics
BioCyclefreemium newsletter · BioCycleanaerobic digestion, composting and organics recycling
BioEnergy Timesfree newsletter · BioEnergy TimesIndian CBG plant and policy news