A record number of homes in the North of England receive renewable gas. During 2020 the equivalent of almost 50,000 homes were fuelled by the renewable gas biomethane, figures compiled by Northern Gas Networks (NGN) have revealed.
The amount of biomethane produced increased by almost 50% compared to 2019, meaning more homes than ever received renewable gas, with the amount of biomethane injected into the grid representing enough gas to serve the household needs of a town the size of Darlington.
The rise was due to an increase in the number of biomethane connections and NGN creating more flexibility in its network to accept greater quantities of biomethane.
Currently around 85% of UK homes are connected to the gas grid, with domestic heat responsible for around 30% of our carbon dioxide emissions.
Biomethane is a renewable gas produced through anaerobic digestion is carbon neutral and can play a vital role in helping to reduce emissions. As it is a direct substitute for the natural gas usually transported in gas pipes, biomethane can be injected to green the gas grid with a cleaner gas.
Along with biomethane as a potential stepping stone to a carbon free gas network is hydrogen. In 2021 NGN will supply a 20% hydrogen blend to the community of Winlaton, Gateshead. The company states that it will be the first time hydrogen has been supplied via a public gas network since town gas was phased out during the 1960s.