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UK Government launches consultation to scale-up biomethane production

The UK Government is planning to scale-up green gas (biomethane) production to heat around 230,000 homes, with more biomethane plants built as a result.

Supported by the new Green Gas Levy, the UK Government is helping people across the UK to ‘go green’ on their energy supplies.

With the potential to prevent as much as 21.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) entering the atmosphere, the government’s Green Gas Levy will result in only minimal costs for consumers, starting at just 11p per month, yet will see climate gains equivalent to planting more than 71 million trees.

The Green Gas Levy was first announced in the 2020 Budget earlier this year and this announcement launches a consultation which invites views on how the final initiative will be designed and implemented.

UK Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Reaching net-zero means reducing emissions across our entire energy system, including the way we heat our homes and businesses.

“This new funding will support an ambitious scheme to decarbonise the gas grid that will prevent millions of tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere – another step towards reaching net-zero by 2050 at minimal cost to UK bill payers.”

“Fully deployed, the biomethane industry could deliver a 6% reduction in the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and provide heating for 6.4 million homes, creating tens of thousands of jobs and boosting energy and food production security,” said Charlotte Morton, chief executive of the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association.

“As biomethane is already compatible with our current gas grid, it is also a particularly cost-effective way to decarbonise the UK’s heating infrastructure.

“We welcome this consultation and the commitment shown by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, to integrate biomethane into the government’s net-zero strategy. With the right policy support, there is much more this industry could contribute to the green economy and to achieving the UK’s 5th Carbon Budget over the next decade, but this represents a significant step in the right direction.”

The consultation on 22 September is the latest measure designed to fight climate change and help the UK reach its net-zero target. In August, the UK Government announced the £2 billion (€2.17 billion) Green Homes Grant, which will fund up to two-thirds of the cost of upgrading the energy performance of UK homes, impacting more than 600,000 homes in England, and saving households up to £600 (€653) per year on their energy bills.




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