Page 18 - Gi flipbook September 2018

Producing low carbon gas – why is it important?

demonstration projects aimed at dioxide, which makes it suitable to The UK’s landfill
repurposing the gas grid for 100 per inject into the gas grid (where it can holds a mountain
cent hydrogen, such as the HyNet, be used for heat in buildings). of possibilties
H100 and H21 Leeds City Gate “However, it is relatively expensive
projects. Thanks to the HyDeploy and to make biogas a viable option at
project, hosted at Keele University, we scale, the removal of barriers to
are already learning that a gas blend accessing food waste as a feedstock for
of up to 20 per hydrogen should not biomethane will need to be removed.
require the replacement of appliances, The government’s forthcoming Waste
at least not for domestic use. and Resources Strategy will need to
“Critical to the economics of join up with the UK’s climate change
hydrogen deployment is the objectives and Clean Growth Strategy.
development of carbon capture “Bio-synthetic or bio-substitute
utilisation and storage (CCUS), natural gas (bioSNG), generated by the
without which our climate change gasification of biomass, could also play demonstration bioSNG plant in the
ambitions are simply not feasible. a significant role in meeting the UK UK, which has adopted the Renewable
Actions needed now include the demand. In fact, bioSNG from the Transport Fuels Obligation as a
development of a comprehensive gasification of waste has greater support mechanism. To drive further
CCUS policy, a clear deployment potential to meet heat demand than bioSNG investment, alternative
pathway for CCUS and financial biomethane from anaerobic digestion. support mechanisms will need to be
support from government for new Estimates indicate that it could generate developed, perhaps linked to black
CCUS projects. one third of heat demand by 2050, or bag waste gate fees.
“Raw biogas produced by anaerobic provide fuel for all of the UK’s HGVs. “The best use of the gas grid is
digestion can be cleaned to produce “Again, commercial viability needs clearly uncertain and changes will be
enriched biomethane in a process that assessment. At the moment, there is required to support the flexible
removes impurities and carbon only one commercial-scale network of the future. Such changes
may include regulatory changes, such
as the widening of the Wobbe index
Hydrogen could provide huge and removal of schedule 3 from the
GSMR, as well as the need for overall
decarbonisation opportunities and has energy management and the need for
applications across the energy system, revised billing arrangements.” ■

from putting hydrogen in the gas grid to ■ Read Part 2 of The Future Gas
Series: Producing Low Carbon Gas at
be burnt for heat in homes, to hydrogen www.policyconnect.org.uk/cc/

buses and trains research/producing-low-carbon-gas-
future-gas-series-part-2

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DO NOTHING? options for these properties are heat
pumps and low-carbon hydrogen.”
NATURAL GAS use is second only to purposes generates over a third of In order to meet carbon budgets,
petrol in terms of fuel consumption in the UK’s carbon emissions every year. the CCC has suggested that the UK
the UK. In 2016, natural gas supplied We are legally obliged to cut our must “reduce emissions from heating
over 42 per cent of the electricity and carbon emissions by at least 80 per and hot water by at least 20 per cent
provided over 100TWh of energy to cent relative to 1990 by 2050. To meet by 2030, with a near complete
industry. It also provides heat to the these targets, the government has set decarbonisation by 2050.”
85 per cent of domestic homes five-yearly carbon budgets which However, neither the building nor
connected to the gas grid. Natural gas currently run until 2032. They restrict the industrial sector is currently on
is also useful as an energy store to the amount of greenhouse gas the UK track to achieve the emissions cuts
meet periods of peak demand in the can legally emit in a five year period. needed to meet either our fourth and
coldest days in winter. The Committee on Climate Change fifth carbon budgets or our national
Just heat for domestic buildings (CCC) concluded in its 2018 progress decarbonisation targets.
accounts for 40 per cent of our report to Parliament that: “The Instead, emissions from industry and
energy consumption and 20 per cent current reliance on natural gas is buildings both grew in 2017. There are
of our greenhouse gas emissions, incompatible with long-term various possibilities to provide low
while heat for industrial processes decarbonisation. Key strategic carbon heat in buildings and industry,
makes up 85 per cent of all industrial decisions will be needed in the early and also to replace natural gas in the
emissions. Taken together, heat for 2020s on low-carbon heat for UK energy system. Low carbon gas is
industrial, commercial and domestic properties on the gas grid. The main one of these options. ■

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