Biogases make up 7% of the UK gas production

A significant 7% of the UK’s indigenous gas was supplied by biogas from anaerobic digestion (AD) and landfill gas last year, according to a report published  by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), which used data from the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA).

In 2014, the UK produced 37bn cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas and biogas combined; 2.6 bcm of which was generated from AD and landfill. Since then the biomethane industry has quadrupled in scale, says ADBA, with 40 gas-to-grid plants now generating enough indigenous gas to heat over 100,000 homes or fuel around 10% of the UK’s bus fleet.  And POST estimates that the UK’s natural gas production will fall from 2016, with biogas therefore becoming an increasingly important part of our gas supplies.

In addition to the 37 bcm of gas produced in the UK, almost as much again was imported, mostly via pipelines from Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway; and as LNG from Qatar and Algeria.

ADBA’s Chief Executive, Charlotte Morton, commented: ‘The fact that green gas represented 7% of the UK’s indigenous gas supply in 2014 represents a colossal milestone for the biogas industry. With continued support for additional biomethane capacity, anaerobic digestion could potentially meet 30% of UK domestic gas demand.’