APPENDIX 3
GRID INJECTED
BIO-METHANE
37. Bio-methane is already being injected
into the gas distribution and transmission networks in other parts
of the world. Germany has a target to provide 10% of its natural
gas supply from bio-methane by 2030, and has implemented feed-in
tariffs to encourage production. In the UK there has been to date
no bio-methane injection to the gas grid. National Grid has, for
over 25 years, had experience of injecting biogas from Staten
Island Municipal landfill site in New York into our gas distribution
network. In the UK, other than the commercial barriers highlighted
in the main body of the response, there are two key technical
barriers:
(i) Gas quality—Regulations in the UK have
been focused on the injection of large quantities of natural gas
from the North Sea and imports from Europe and will present some
barriers to the entry of bio-methane which has different characteristics
to those of natural gas. One solution might be for Ofgem to and
the HSE to exempt renewable gas from obligation on certain criteria
that bio-methane has to reach subject to safety considerations.
(ii) Equipment Requirements—The current
requirements for monitoring and metering gas quality and volumes
require very expensive equipment. The economies of scale needed
to make this technology viable will require large plant deployment.
National Grid would like to investigate the feasibility and assess
the impact of less onerous monitoring and metering requirements
for low volume injections.
June 2008
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