A new report from the Green Gas Taskforce has found that Northern Ireland has sufficient sustainable feedstock to generate 8 TWh of biomethane annually—enough to meet almost half of the region's existing economy-wide gas demand and more than 100 per cent of gas demand from homes and businesses.
The report, titled "Northern Ireland's Green Gas Opportunity," was commissioned to assess the region's potential to scale up renewable natural gas production. It was welcomed by Northern Ireland's gas network operators—Evolve, GNI(UK), Kinecx Energy, Mutual Energy and Phoenix Energy—who jointly emphasised that converting this potential into production now requires supportive policy and regulatory frameworks.
Independent analysis commissioned for the report concluded that current Northern Irish gas demand stands at 10.4 TWh from power generation and 6.9 TWh from distribution. The identified biomethane feedstock potential could therefore address a substantial share of this demand without negatively impacting food production, according to the report.
Livestock Waste as Primary Feedstock Source
The report identifies livestock waste as one of the largest potential sources of biomethane supply in Northern Ireland, with the region's agriculture sector—employing around 50,000 people—positioned as central to feedstock supply.
Currently, only an estimated 2.5 per cent of organic farm waste is used to feed anaerobic digestion (AD) plants, representing what the report describes as "a huge, untapped resource of green fuel."
Beyond biomethane itself, AD produces digestate as a by-product. Given its nitrogen-rich content, digestate can be processed into biobased fertiliser products as an alternative to imported, carbon-intensive synthetic fertiliser.
The report notes that directing waste toward AD plants also supports improved nutrient management across Northern Irish agriculture, helping reduce ammonia emissions and phosphorus losses to waterways—addressing what the report describes as ongoing nutrient challenges facing the region's soils and waterways.
Existing Infrastructure Advantage
Northern Ireland's gas network, one of the newest in Europe, is already equipped to handle 100 per cent biomethane injection—evidenced by the first such connection on the Evolve Network in Dungannon in November 2023.
The distribution pipeline network stretches over 6,000 kilometres, representing a £1 billion infrastructure investment supplying natural gas to consumers across every major urban centre in Northern Ireland.
By the end of 2025, approximately 345,000 properties were connected to the gas network—around 40 per cent of all Northern Ireland homes and businesses—with gas available to over 60 per cent of properties.
The report frames this existing infrastructure as a critical enabler for delivering biomethane at scale, since production requires the transmission and distribution network already in place to reach end users cost-effectively.
Biomethane is characterised in the report as a "drop-in" fuel, meaning both industrial and domestic gas users do not need to modify existing boilers or equipment to use it—offering what the report describes as a seamless transition pathway to lower-carbon gas supply.
Economic Impact and Job Creation
A study commissioned by the Taskforce estimates the sector could deliver 3,000 jobs by 2050, with wages 33 per cent above the Northern Ireland average, and £5 billion in Gross Value Added by 2050.
These jobs—including engineers, construction workers and welders—would be concentrated outside major cities, according to the report, distributing economic benefit toward rural communities.
The analysis found that for every £1 invested in biomethane, 85p remains within the country—the highest domestic content share of any low-carbon or renewable technology assessed, compared with 45p retained for wind investment and 10p for solar.
Decarbonising Beyond Homes
The report outlines biomethane's potential across multiple sectors beyond domestic heating. Over 15,000 Northern Irish businesses depend on gas for energy needs, including industrial processes requiring high-grade heat such as food production and manufacturing, where electrification alternatives may be costly or technically difficult.
Biomethane is also highlighted as a decarbonisation pathway for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), with around 3,250 biomethane trucks already operating on UK roads. Taskforce-commissioned analysis found that total cost of ownership for a 44-tonne biomethane HGV is currently lower than a diesel equivalent, whilst delivering comparable performance and load capability.
The report also identifies a role for biomethane in balancing the electricity grid, providing dispatchable, low-carbon power generation as Northern Ireland's wind and solar capacity continues to expand.
Bio-CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Removal Potential
Biomethane production generates a pure stream of bio-CO2 as a co-product, currently used within the food and drink sector. The report suggests that, when combined with Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), this bio-CO2 could deliver Greenhouse Gas Removal solutions at lower cost than other CCUS technologies, while also serving as a potential feedstock for e-fuel production.
Policy Recommendations
The report sets out five key policy priorities to unlock Northern Ireland's biomethane potential: establishing a clear, ambitious production target within the next Programme for Government; advancing a long-term, investable biomethane support scheme; creating market mechanisms that recognise the wider environmental value of biomethane, including greenhouse gas removals and sustainable bio-fertiliser production; encouraging rapid delivery of biomethane's zero-rating on the UK Emissions Trading Scheme; and removing market and regulatory barriers to enable gas infrastructure to transport renewable gas at scale.
Separate Taskforce analysis cited in the report found that maximising the biomethane opportunity across the UK could reduce the overall cost of net zero by £174 billion—equivalent to £250 per household annually—by leveraging existing gas infrastructure rather than requiring costly new build-out.
