'Enabling a Greener Energy Future' publication launched at Stormont

Northern Ireland's five gas network operators have jointly launched 'Enabling a Greener Energy Future', a policy paper focused on unlocking biomethane potential in the region.

Evolve Director David Butler joined the other gas operators in Northern Ireland - Phoenix Energy, firmus energy, Mutual Energy and GNI (UK), in a collaborative message to politicians that the time was right to “grasp this incredible opportunity to accelerate Northern Ireland along the pathway to net zero”.

Adding biomethane to the gas network could cut Northern Ireland’s carbon emissions, deliver significant environmental benefits and create hundreds of new jobs, is the message being delivered by leading business organisations, industry partners and the region’s five gas network operators.

This publication also focuses on the range of benefits to unlocking NI’s biomethane opportunity and calls for a regional biomethane target to be set, a capital support ‘Pathfinder’ to be set and a regulatory framework to be enabled. 

The event was hosted by Phillip Brett MLA, Chair of the Economy Committee, and addressed by Andrew Muir MLA, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

A renewable gas derived from organic matter like manure or silage from farms, biomethane is produced through anaerobic digestion. Almost identical to natural gas, biomethane can be transported through existing gas pipelines, and in November 2023, the renewable gas was successfully injected to Northern Ireland’s gas network in Dungannon. Whilst replacing natural gas with biomethane will be seamless for customers connected to the gas grid, the resulting environmental benefits will be enormous.

The operators pointed to research by the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy which shows biomethane has the potential to supply 6,000 Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, equal to around 80 per cent of current gas distribution network demand. In doing so, it would reduce Northern Ireland CO2 emissions by 845,000 tonnes per annum.

Analysis by KPMG shows that the injection of 1.5 Terawatt hours (TWh) of biomethane into the Northern Ireland gas network annually by 2030 could create 1,500 new green jobs, and support our local large energy users by providing solutions that support their sustainability demands. 

In a joint statement, Northern Ireland’s gas network operators said:

The potential of biomethane has been recognised by the Department for the Economy, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and was included in the Northern Ireland Executive’s draft Programme for Government. 

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir said:

Earlier this year, Andrew Muir and the Minister for the Economy Conor Murphy joined the five gas network operators to launch a formal request for information to evaluate the potential for biomethane production gauge interest among the rural community in producing biomethane in Northern Ireland.  A report outlining the findings is due to be published later this year.

The publication can be read here.