As part of the METHAREN project, we interviewed M. Tim Hamers, leader of work package 7, and Secretary General at ERGaR.
Background
Q.: Could you share your professional journey up to the METHAREN project?
M. Tim Hamers: In the first part of my career, I have worked in European and national industry associations in the areas of agricultural machinery, mechanical engineering, and, most recently, the weighing industry. In METHAREN, I represent ERGaR, where I am Secretary General since 2023. As European Renewable Gas Registry we are experts in the (cross-border) trading of biomethane certificates.
Role in the project
Q.: Could you share the main aims of the work you are leading in METHAREN?
M. Tim Hamers: In METHAREN, I am leading the seventh work package (WP), i.e. WP7 – Market uptake of the biomethane production system and exploitation. This WP aims to investigate how the METHAREN pilot system can be scaled by analysing the market and policies.
Progress and Challenges
Q.: What is the progress achieved so far for WP7?
M. Tim Hamers: As part of WP7, iterative joint policy briefs are made regularly together with three other EU-funded projects, HYFUELUP, SEMPRE-BIO and BIOMETHAVERSE. These briefs aim to identify barriers and obstacles to deploy the projects’ biomethane technologies and include recommendations to policy makers to overcome the identified ones.
Aditionally, as part of WP7, Technip Energies Paris created the Industrial Cluster Board for the project, to gather advice on the developments of the METAHREN project, as well as share first-class information on the project to the Members.
Next steps
Q.: What are the next activities planned for you and for ERGaR overall in METHAREN?
M. Tim Hamers: Actually, most of the work in WP7 still needs to be done, now there is more progress on the pilot. There will be a market analysis, a policy analysis and upscaling user manual.