The UK Government have announced the launch of a Green Gas Levy to reduce emissions from the gas grid and prevent 21.6 million tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere.
Funded by the new Green Gas Levy, the UK Government is helping people across Great Britain to reduce their carbon emissions, with plans to fuel around 230,000 homes under the Green Gas Support Scheme. The scheme is part of the UK’s £2bn Green Homes Grant which will fund up to 66% of energy improvements in more than 600,000 homes.
This new initiative has the potential to prevent 21.6 million tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere, posing the same climate gains as planting over 71 million trees. Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: “This new funding will support an ambitious scheme to decarbonise the gas grid that will prevent millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere – another step towards reaching net zero by 2050 at minimal cost to UK bill payers.”
In order to support the Green Support Scheme, the UK Government will build more biomethane plants. Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive of the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) said: “Fully deployed, the biomethane industry could deliver a 6% reduction in the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and provide heating for 6.4 million homes, creating tens of thousands of jobs and boosting energy and food production security.”
Green gas or biomethane can be produced using organic waste and offers a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Biomethane is produced from biogas derived from agricultural waste, food waste, distillery waste, or human sewage. Manufacturers then process the fuel using biogas upgraders to remove its CO2 Biomethane is chemically identical to natural gas and can be distributed using the same infrastructure as natural gas.
Morton added: “As biomethane is already compatible with our current gas grid, it is also a particularly cost-effective way to decarbonise the UK’s heating infrastructure. We welcome this consultation and the commitment shown by BEIS to integrate biomethane into the government’s net zero strategy.”
