Work has begun on civil engineering installations at Yorkshire Water’s Blackburn Meadows site, which represents a step forward for one of Sheffield, England’s, most significant renewable gas projects.
The five-month civils programme, co-ordinated by Green Gas Solutions, will prepare the ground for gas-to-grid equipment due to arrive in autumn 2025.
Commissioning is expected by the end of the year, with full commercial operations planned for the first half of 2026. The current works include installing foundations, drainage, ducting and roadways.
Once operational, the plant will inject enough biomethane into the local network to heat around 4,000 homes annually.
Together with a second Green Gas Solutions project at Knostrop, Leeds, the two sites will provide renewable gas for approximately 10,000 homes, producing around 0.125 TWh of green gas per year.
This comes as the UK targets 50 TWh of biomethane production by 2030 – a level expected to exceed current output from the nation’s nuclear fleet (37.3 TWh).
Sewage sludge alone could deliver 2.6 TWh annually, highlighting the sector’s growing role in the country’s net zero ambitions.
Annabel West, Head of Green Gas Solutions at SGN, said the development demonstrates the value of collaboration between utilities and the gas sector.
“It’s inspiring to see infrastructure being built that will soon deliver measurable carbon savings for thousands of homes,” she said. “Projects like this not only help us decarbonise heat, they also lay the foundations for a thriving green gas economy across the UK.”
Looking ahead, opportunities for carbon capture at Yorkshire Water’s biomethane sites could enable the generation of up to 15,000 tonnes of biogenic CO₂ each year, while innovations such as propane “trim” technology are being developed to improve efficiency and lower costs for producers.
Milestone reached at Sheffield biomethane facility
