Speeding-up the process for Biomethane injection to the UK’s National Transmission Gas network.

On the beginning of april, some experts in biomethane project development met with National Gas, the owner and operator of the UK’s gas network for a roundtable discussion.

Discussions explored issues around connecting AD plants to the National Transmission System (NTS), including:

• Long application and approval process for new connections. Long lead times (>9 month) are a significant barrier to project development. Plants applying for government support, such as the GGSS, must comply with strict commissioning deadlines, and thus significant delays can put an entire development at risk. Moreover, uncertainty around completion dates can add financial risk related to cash flow and total costs.

• Lack of early assessment into connection viability. At present, the viability of a grid connection is determined late within a project’s development. Technical constraints (e.g., oxygen limits) or excessive connection costs can stop a project altogether. AD developers seek an early ‘connection in principle’ from National Gas, providing reassurance that the connection will be practicable.

• Lack of clarity around NTS-approved equipment or process. Similarly, developers seek assurance that planned technologies will be approved by National Gas, thus minimising the need to revisit and amend original engineering plans. National Gas could publish a “whitelist” of equipment that has previously been approved for NTS connections.

National Gas highlighted that their limited resources can slow the connection process. However, considering the significant capital required to build new AD plants, some developers would likely be willing to pay for any resource required to gain early assurance of connection viability and to accelerate progress.

Experienced with AD development and gas grid connections, you can join this roundtable and contribute to discussions by expressing your interest to charlotte.marcel@adbioresources.org .