Green Gas Day 2024 - CNG Services

UK Green Gas Day 2024

The REA and CNG Services have been running the Green Gas Day since 2012. It is the largest industry gathering in the UK focused on green gases, including hydrogen, with over 300 people attending all previous years.

Along with actions to accelerate the roll out of energy efficiency measures and the deployment of renewables, green gases such as biomethane and low carbon hydrogen are key to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and reliance on imported gas from Russia, as well as to deliver an energy future which is independent, secure, and stable.

The UK has been active in the development of green gas plants in the past decade, but more needs to be done to help us become self-sufficient. The growth of the green gas sector in the UK has been mostly supported by the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (NDRHI) and, more recently the Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS). According to Government statistics, the UK has 143 biomethane to grid projects registered under the NDRHI, with a further 31 projects in the pipeline. The GGSS is expected to contribute 4.3 MtCO2e of carbon savings via natural gas displacement over Carbon Budgets 4 and 5, and 10.7MtCO2e of carbon savings over its lifetime.

With the announcement of an extension of the GGSS to March 2028 and the ambitions in last year’s Biomass Strategy publication for increases in Biomethane production to 30-40TWh by 2050, the government are investigating a future biomethane framework. New financial models that are not reliant on subsidies are also emerging for biomethane plants and along with certificates (GGCS) includes carbon capture and storage, making biomethane carbon negative and particularly valuable for companies that need to offset their residual GHG emissions. Green gases supplied for transport under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) have also been growing rapidly in recent years, particularly biomethane. Mobility is also likely to be one of the key sectors to kick-start the development of the clean hydrogen sector in the UK.

In the UK and in the world clean hydrogen is currently enjoying an unprecedented political and business momentum as a versatile and sustainable energy carrier, but the right policy and regulatory framework needs now to be in place to support the rapid scale up of this sector and deliver the necessary cost reductions. Policy to support clean hydrogen is developing at a fast pace in the UK and much innovation is being carried out to facilitate the safe and sound deployment of hydrogen production, injection into the gas network and different hydrogen applications. Innovative projects are underway that are integrating renewable electricity generation such as solar and wind with batteries and electrolysers, and injecting hydrogen into the National Transmission System.