Northern Ireland is set to inject biomethane into its gas grid later this year. The renewable fuel will be injected into the SGN Natural Gas network by Granville Eco Park Ltd, part of Bio Capital Ltd, based in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.

The biomethane will be produced from food waste at its anaerobic digestion facility.

Bio Capital Ltd chief technical officer David McKee expressed his excitement over the collaboration with SGN Natural Gas, stating that the biomethane-to-grid project will have a tangible benefit to the environment.

'Monumental day'

Commenting on the announcement, SGN Natural Gas director David Butler said: “Entering into an agreement with Granville Eco Park is a monumental day for the natural gas networks in Northern Ireland.

“We anticipate that by late 2023, biomethane will begin to be injected into our infrastructure in Dungannon,” he said.

Emissions reductions

Research led by Queen’s University Belfast in 2022 found there was approximately 6,000GWh worth of biomethane in Northern Ireland, which would account for more than 80% of the region's gas distribution network demand.

Furthermore, using biomethane produced via anaerobic digestion could reduce CO2 emissions in Northern Ireland by an estimated 845,000t per year, the report states.