By
47 min ago 2 min read
Northern Ireland has sufficient sustainable feedstock to generate 8TWh of biomethane and the sector can deliver £5bn ($6.68bn) in gross added value by 2050, according to a new Green Gas Taskforce report.
One of the largest potential sources of biomethane supply comes from livestock waste. The agriculture industry is a critical sector for the Northern Irish economy, employing around 50,000 people.
Northern Ireland’s existing gas network serves a significant number of domestic, commercial and industrial energy consumers, the report states.
“Biomethane therefore offers a potential pathway to decarbonise these users through existing infrastructure, particularly where widespread electrification may be more difficult or costly,” it notes.
Biomethane has potential as part of a bio-hybrid heating system, where a home retains the use of its (normally existing) biomethane-fuelled gas boiler and pairs it with a small heat pump. It is also being used today to fuel and decarbonise heavy goods vehicles.
As well as producing digestate as a byproduct of anaerobic digestion, the production of biomethane also creates a pure stream of biogenic CO2 which can be used in the food and drink sector, and if combined with carbon capture, utilisation and storage, it can deliver a greenhouse gas removal (GGR) solution.
The distribution network is supported by a large volume transmission network managed by Mutual Energy and GNI (UK) which supplies gas to the individual distribution networks and Northern Ireland’s gas-fuelled power stations.
But, in common with many markets, Northern Ireland will not realise its biomethane potential without policy support, the report stresses.
The report aims to capitalise on momentum which has been building south of the border.
Ireland’s Commission for Regulation of Utilities updated its biomethane policy to allow plants to transport the gas by road for injection into the grid .
The following month the Ireland government ($21.7m) to seven projects under the biomethane capital grant scheme – and confirmed €200m ($229m) will support a second round of capital grants for anaerobic digestion plants through to 2030.
Video
