In line with the low-carbon strategy, the EU is expected to be climate-neutral by 2050, which would require a significant increase in renewable energy production. Produced biogas is directly used to produce electricity and heat, or it can be upgraded to reach the “renewable natural gas”, i.e., biomethane. This paper reviews the applied production technology and current state of biogas and biomethane production in Europe. Germany, UK, Italy and France are the leaders in biogas production in Europe. Biogas from AD processes is most represented in total biogas production (84%). Germany is deserving for the majority (52%) of AD biogas in the EU, while landfill gas production is well represented in the UK (43%). Biogas from sewage sludge is poorly presented by less than 5% in total biogas quantities produced in the EU. Biomethane facilities will reach a production of 32 TWh in 2020 in Europe. There are currently 18 countries producing biomethane (Germany and France with highest share). Most of the European plants use agricultural substrate (28%), while the second position refers to energy crop feedstock (25%). Sewage sludge facilities participate with 14% in the EU, mostly applied in Sweden. Membrane separation is the most used upgrading technology, applied at around 35% of biomethane plants. High energy prices today, and even higher in the future, give space for the wider acceptance of biomethane use.

Recently, due to the corrosion problem in the petroleum industry and the usage of commercial corrosion inhibitors, which, when released untreated into the environment, are considered to be environmentally unfriendly, green corrosion inhibitors are being researched. In this paper, the results of dandelion-root-extract testing as a green corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in simulated brine solution saturated with carbon dioxide (CO₂) are shown. The extract’s inhibition efficiency in static and flow conditions was determined by using potentiodynamic polarization with Tafel extrapolation and electrochemical-impedance-spectroscopy methods. In static conditions, the extract was tested at different concentrations. A maximum inhibition efficiency of 98.37% in static conditions at an extract concentration of 12 mL/L and 82.80% in flow conditions at a concentration of 14 mL/L was achieved. Additionally, for the most efficient dandelion-root-extract concentration (12 mL/L), the biodegradability and toxicity were determined. A biodegradability of 0.96 and a toxicity of 2.38% was achieved. Based on the obtained results of the conducted laboratory measurements, it can be concluded that dandelion-root extract has significant potential in terms of its use as a green corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in a CO₂-saturated brine solution.

The paper provides an analysis of the causes of accidents in oil and gas pipeline systems. As part of a comprehensive overview of the topic, it also presents the historical development of pipeline systems, from the first commercial oil pipelines in the United States to modern infrastructure projects, with a particular focus on the role of regulatory requirements and measures (prevention, detection, and mitigation) to improve transport efficiency and pipeline safety. The research uses historical accident data from various databases to identify the main causes of accidents and analyse trends. The focus is on factors such as corrosion, third-party interference, and natural disasters that can lead to accidents. A comparison of the various accident databases shows that there are different practises and approaches to operation and reporting. As each database differs in terms of inclusion criteria, the categories are divided into five main groups to allow systematic interpretation of the data and cross-comparison of accident causes. Regional differences in the causes of accidents involving oil and gas pipelines in Europe, the USA, and Canada are visible. However, an integrated analysis shows that the number of accidents is declining in almost all categories. The majority of all recorded accidents are in the “Human factors and Operational disruption” and “Corrosion and Material damage” groups. It is recommended to use the database as required, as each category has its own specifics.

Due to issues with the corrosion problem in the petroleum industry and the use of less ecologically acceptable corrosion inhibitors, great emphasis, within research on corrosion inhibitors, is now being put on green corrosion inhibitors (GCIs). In this study, Lady’s mantle flower extract (LMFE) has been observed as a plant-based GCI for carbon steel in a simulated CO₂-saturated brine solution. The effectiveness of the inhibitor in static and flow conditions has been determined using potentiodynamic polarization with Tafel extrapolation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). In static conditions, the inhibitor has been tested at concentrations from 1 g/L to 5 g/L with an increment of 1 g/L per measurement, while, in dynamic (flow) conditions, the inhibitor has been tested at concentrations from 3 g/L to 6 g/L with an increment of 1 g/L per measurement. All measurements were performed at room temperature. EIS and potentiodynamic polarization methods showed that LMFE achieves maximum effectiveness in protecting carbon steel from corrosion when added at a concentration of 4 g/L in static conditions and at a concentration of 5 g/L in flow conditions. The test methods proved that the inhibitory effectiveness of LMFE is greater than 90% in both test conditions (static and flow). The inhibitor efficiency was attributed to the adsorption of LMFE on the carbon steel surface, which was demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A biodegradability of 0.96 and a toxicity of 19.34% for LMFE were determined. The conducted laboratory tests indicate that LMFE could be used as an effective corrosion inhibitor for CO₂ carbon steel corrosion.