SGN Natural Gas not involved in fracking

SGN Natural Gas has reassured the public in Northern Ireland that it plays no role in fracking, a process which has been a topic of public conversation recently.  

 

The company responsible for the development of the newest natural gas mains network in the west of Northern Ireland also reiterated its positive engagement with stakeholders, which has been fully transparent from the outset. It has directly engaged with members of the public, the business community, statutory partners, and elected representatives.

David Butler, Director at SGN Natural Gas said: “There is no alignment between any proposed fracking project and our own efforts building infrastructure here. We are a distribution company, not a production company and we are delighted to reassure the local communities in our network area that we play no role in fracking.

 

“The role of SGN Natural Gas is to build suitable infrastructure that will allow customers and businesses here to heat their homes and premises using a fuel source that achieves a greater carbon saving than older oil and coal systems. Meanwhile, new developments on using our infrastructure in the journey to net zero continue to evolve at pace.

“In the wake of the recent COP26 summit, all eyes are now firmly focused on decarbonisation and the role we can all play to reduce carbon emissions with an increased focus on less carbon-emitting sources of energy. 

“Importantly at SGN Natural Gas, we are working with our industry partners on the integration of zero carbon fuels such as biomethane into the network, which is expected in 2022. This is a huge milestone which highlights the key role our infrastructure will play, particularly in Northern Ireland where levels of biomethane are higher than in other parts of the world.” 

Mr Butler concluded: “Leveraging these considerations and becoming a world leader in new, green energy is a very real opportunity for our region and one that excites us as an innovative utility infrastructure company. We look forward to playing our role in this critical process and will continue to engage with the public on our plans.”