Gasunie has completed a new connection between the underground gas networks near Axel in Zeeland and Ossendrecht in Noord-Brabant, adding transport capacity for biomethane and giving existing and new producers greater scope to feed sustainable gas into the network.
The company said the extra capacity would make more domestically produced sustainable energy available to households, industry and transport, supporting further growth in biomethane production.
The connection was made using an existing natural gas pipeline no longer required for natural gas transport, meaning no new pipelines had to be laid. Gasunie said reusing existing infrastructure cut the amount of work required, avoided the use of additional materials, and limited disruption to local communities; all work took place at Gasunie sites outside built-up areas.
Biomethane is produced year-round, but gas demand fluctuates seasonally, creating regular local surpluses, particularly in summer. The new link between the two networks is intended to ease transport of biomethane to areas of higher demand, improving network utilisation and creating room for further production growth.
Gasunie noted that additional capacity is urgently needed: domestic biomethane production rose 14% last year, while the number of producers increased from 92 to 108. The company is aiming to grow biomethane's share of the network further, with a longer-term target of 2 billion m³ a year.
Gasunie highlighted Noord-Brabant's potential for biomethane production, citing the availability of organic waste streams from the province's agriculture and farming sector, and said it is investing in infrastructure expansion at several locations there.
Alongside the Axel–Ossendrecht connection, biomethane boosters are due to be connected in Tilburg and Mill. These installations raise the pressure of biomethane so it can be fed from the Enexis network into Gasunie's transport network. Together, the company said, the projects will increase the volume of sustainably produced gas available to households, companies and industry.
Gasunie links Zeeland and Noord-Brabant gas networks to boost biomethane capacity
