British Gas, Bio Group in waste-to-gas project
13 Sep 2011
London — British Gas and Bio Group are to jointly establish a facility to convert commercial food waste into renewable gas. The project will be the UK’s first purpose-built site to benefit from the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), the companies said.
The £5 million facility, in Stockport, which will open in April 2012, will use food waste from local hotels, restaurants and even British Gas’ own offices, to generate enough renewable gas to supply up to 1,400 homes every year. It will be built on an old landfill site
The RHI incentivises renewable gas generation by providing to the gas supplier a premium over the actual gas price paid. It is being heralded by Government as the first financial support scheme for renewable heat in the world.
Biomethane will make a contribution to decarbonising the gas grid by delivering renewable heat to households through the existing gas network and central heating boilers. According to a study by National Grid, it could account for at least 15 per cent of the domestic gas market by 2020.
Renewable gas is made from organic materials like cattle slurry, food or household waste. It’s very similar to the natural gas used in central heating and cookers today and, with a little processing to clean it up, it can be injected into the grid for use by customers.
