Biomethane can be a practical path to a cleaner energy future for North West - View from the Foyle
Northern Ireland has an unmissable opportunity in biomethane. At Kinecx Energy, we see it a practical, ready-now pathway to cut emissions, strengthen energy security, support our agricultural community and grow value in our local economy.
Biomethane progress is one we are working closely on with our fellow gas network operators, Evolve and Phoenix Energy, because a collaborative approach is essential to delivering the right supports at scale.
Biomethane is a renewable gas, produced from organic matter, for example, agricultural waste (slurry or crops), and food waste. Biomethane matters because it works with the energy system we already have. It can flow through the existing gas network, powering homes, businesses and public buildings without the need for costly disruption at the point of use. That makes it one of the most straightforward ways to decarbonise heat at scale, while supporting the circular economy through locally sourced organic material.
We believe natural gas is very important transition fuel, as we focus on converting properties away from much more polluting home heating oil, and work towards decarbonising our network with renewable gases such as biomethane. The gas network is critical to achieving Northern Irelands longer-term energy ambitions, and the network will remain the backbone of our region’s energy security as more renewables come onto the electricity system. When the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, the reliability of our gas network is critical.
We have a £1.2billion asset that seems to get less attention than it deserves, perhaps because it operates reliably, at least a metre underground.
We are already seeing what biomethane can mean in practice. Kinecx Energy signed its first biomethane connection agreement with Greenan Generation Ltd in Eglinton, a landmark step for our network and the wider region. Once operational, the facility is expected to displace around 8% of the natural gas currently used in the North West region of our network.
Derry, naturally, has a central role to play in our energy transition ambitions. As the largest town served by our network, it is well placed to benefit from cleaner, locally produced energy and the jobs, investment and supply-chain opportunities that come with it.
The opportunity presented across our entire network is equally compelling. Research shows biomethane could support current demand within the Kinecx Energy area, underlining the scale of what is possible if policy, planning and investment continue to move in the same direction.
Looking ahead, one of our key missions is to help establish the framework needed to deliver a biomethane economy within Northern Ireland, and to ensure both connected and not-yet-connected customers within our network area understand what that means for them.
I spoke about this opportunity at this week’s Energy Forum in Belfast, now in its 25th year as the sector's leading annual gathering of industry and policy voices from Northern Ireland and beyond.
Biomethane may not solve every energy challenge on its own, but it gives us a route to lower carbon, greater resilience and stronger local energy independence. That makes it an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.
- Niall Martindale, CEO, Kinecx Energy.