IDTechEx Examines the Role of Gas Separation Membranes and Biogas Upgrading in the Energy Sector
BOSTON, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2025, the global energy sector faces two major challenges: energy security and decarbonization. Biomethane - also known as renewable natural gas (RNG) - can address both. According to IDTechEx's "Gas Separation Membranes 2026-2036: Materials, Markets, Players, and Forecasts" report, membranes are now the leading technology for biogas upgrading (which produces biomethane). As RNG markets continue to grow, increased opportunities will unfold for gas separation membrane players.
What is biomethane?
Biogas is a renewable fuel produced from the anaerobic digestion of organic matter (such as food waste or manure). This biogas contains mostly methane and carbon dioxide. If biogas is cleaned up and upgraded to natural gas standards by separating out carbon dioxide, it's then known as biomethane and can be used as a substitute for natural gas. Since biomethane can be produced domestically, reliance on natural gas from geopolitically unstable regions can be reduced to alleviate energy security concerns.
Increased focus on decarbonized power generation from governments has also driven demand for RNG. Historic data shows global biomethane production has grown six-fold since 2015, with IDTechEx forecasts indicating production will triple again by 2035. The leading geographies currently for RNG markets are Europe and North America.
Why have membranes become the leading technology for biogas upgrading?
Following the rapid expansion of global biomethane markets during the 2010s, gas separation membranes have steadily become the leading technology for biogas upgrading. Advantages of membranes include their simplicity (reducing labour costs and increasing reliability), low OPEX, and superior energy efficiency. Additionally, membranes systems have a compact land footprint and do not involve hazardous chemicals.
While membranes do have some downsides, such as higher biomethane losses and membrane degradation, they are generally the best choice economically for biogas upgrading. Exceptions to this include more complicated separations, with landfill gas being one example (where large amounts of oxygen and nitrogen are present alongside carbon dioxide and methane). However, gas separation membranes can still be combined with other separation technologies such as cryogenics for these more challenging applications.
Polyimide membranes for biogas upgrading, such as Evonik's SEPURAN Green, dominate the biomethane space currently. As biogas markets continue to expand worldwide, emerging membrane materials and alternative biogas upgrading technologies can gain market share. New material development for gas separation membranes generally concentrates on three key areas: (1) Overcoming the Robeson limit and achieving maximum selectivity and permeability
(2) Developing materials that can be scaled up effectively for mass production (achieving low cost and high throughput manufacturing, ideally using already established processes)
(3) Developing materials that can unlock new applications (enabling operations at high temperatures in the presence of acidic gases to reduce pre-treatment steps).
Other applications for gas separation membranes
When considering energy security and/or decarbonization, gas separation membranes also play a vital role for other applications beyond biogas upgrading. These include post-combustion carbon capture, natural gas processing, hydrogen separations, including mature applications (ammonia production, refining & petrochemical, and methanol production) and emerging applications (blue hydrogen/pre-combustion carbon capture, hydrogen deblending, and ammonia cracking), and helium separation/recovery. Some of these markets are already mature but still present opportunities for new membrane materials. IDTechEx's recent report, "Gas Separation Membranes 2026-2036" characterizes gas separation membrane markets, materials, and players across these applications.
For more information on this report, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/GasSepMem.
To discover the full range of IDTechEx's decarbonization research please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research/Energy.
About IDTechEx
IDTechEx provides trusted independent research on emerging technologies and their markets. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.
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