How Our Green Gas Works

We've spent a lot of time over the last couple of years looking into the best way to supply Green Gas to our customers through the National Grid.

In 2015 we announced that we were to pursue a new way of generating gas in Britain – from grass.

Step one – Source the fuel

Theoretically, we could produce 95% of domestic and commercial gas demand from grass on marginal farmland by 2035. So there is vast potential for green gas to make a big contribution in reducing carbon emissions and making Britain more energy independent.

We can harvest naturally occurring grasses from marginal grazing and lower quality arable farmland, increasing biodiversity and providing environmental benefits at the same time.

Sourcing grass from marginal land previously used for grazing livestock, we can encourage wild-flowers to grow in the process.

We’ll also be growing a grass break-crop on lower quality arable land that farmers currently use to grow feed crops for livestock. Done in rotation every few years, this will actually improve the quality of the soil and bring it back into food production, with the addition of a natural fertiliser.

Step two – Take it to a Green Gasmill

With the grass providing a consistent source of organic material, we’ll be able to produce a high quality Green Gas – using a process called Anaerobic Digestion (AD). This proven technology allows micro-organisms to break down biodegradable material in an oxygen-free environment. The outputs are simply Green Gas and an excellent natural fertiliser, which can be returned to farmers' fields, improving the soil quality and reducing the need for harmful synthetic fertilisers that are bad for the environment.

Step three –  Into the National Gas Grid

Once the gas has been made, it’s "scrubbed" (mostly, that means having some CO₂ removed) and this bio-methane is pumped directly into the National Gas Grid, mixing with the fossil fuel methane but reducing the overall carbon impact of the gas in the grid.

From there, it can be used to cook and heat in exactly the same way as fossil fuel gas but without the environmental impact. It’s really that simple.

Greening gas now…

We’re currently working hard to turn your energy bills into new Green Gas Mills.

By August 2015, we had already announced our plans to build three Green Gas Mills in Britain and we’ll be announcing more over the coming months and years.

At 5% green, our Green Gas is still the only green gas tariff in Britain – but that percentage will quickly increase as soon as we start building our own Green Gas Mills.

In the meantime, we’re still the only energy company in the UK that promises never to source gas from fracking, not now or ever.