Why is sustainable gas important?

The debate on how to deliver green or renewable heat to UK homes is picking up momentum and the government is now beginning to recognise the potential for renewable gas to contribute to the UK’s low carbon economy. Renewable gas (also referred to as methane-based gas or biomethane) can be produced from organic waste and injected into the gas grid and will therefore contribute to decarbonising (lowering CO₂ emissions) energy supplies for heat.

In January 2009 National Grid published The potential of renewable gas in the UK (with Ernst and Young). This highlighted that renewable gas has the potential of meeting a significant proportion of the UK's domestic heat demand.

Biomethane has a key role to play in a low carbon economy.

Biomethane is a renewable gas produced from biodegradable matter such as food waste, sewage or energy crops.

Through injection to the gas grid biomethane provides a sustainable , flexible and economic solution that could provide a significant contribution to the UK' s heat demand by 2050.

National Grid’s vision for injection is consistent with the UK Government’s targets for reducing landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions and for meeting energy demand using sustainable resources.

Injection of biomethane is already carried out in Europe and key to its deployment in the UK is the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) in 2011. Our position is that the incentive is a positive step to enable biomethane producers to inject to the gas grid and make those projects financiallly comparable to those generating electricity.

Due to the success of the work that National Grid has done to raise awareness of the potential for renewable gas we receive regular enquiries regarding network entry connections and we are actively lobbying to develop a number of projects with producers that should come on stream in the next 12 to 18 months. To find out more about the requirements to connect to our gas grid and injection of biomethane please visit our transmission connection pages.

What are people saying about sustainable gas?

"Biomethane has the potential to cost effectively contribute to global carbon reduction targets.  It has the added benefits of increasing security of energy supplies and helping to deal with organic waste products.  I am proud that National Grid is taking a lead role to bring this sustainable energy source to market.."        

John Pettigrew , Chief Operating Officer, Gas Distribution and Metering

"Biomethane has tremendous potential for delivering large scale renewable heat for the UK and significant carbon reductions, National Grid welcomes the Renewable Heat Incentive for biomethane injection as a positive step toward realising this potential."        

Chris Bennett, Head of Commercial, Gas Distribution