Future Gas Networks: The Growing Role of Biomethane

What is Biomethane?

Biomethane is a renewable gas produced from organic materials including food waste, manure and sewage sludge. These materials are broken down by anaerobic digestion, which produces biogas. Carbon dioxide and impurities are then removed from the gas to produce biomethane. 

As biomethane is chemically similar to methane from fossil fuels, this means it can be injected directly into the existing gas grid. Meaning that the UK’s pipeline network can transport renewable gas without requiring completely new infrastructure.

Why The UK Needs Biomethane

Biomethane has a variety of environmental and socio-economic benefits which helps to address some of the issues identified by the UK Government: energy sustainability, energy security, and energy cost. Let’s have a look at how biomethane adheres to these three dilemmas:

1. Energy sustainability

The production process for biomethane has a very small carbon footprint, mainly as it uses existing ‘waste’ material efficiently. Due to the nature of the environmentally friendly production process, the UK Government has identified biomethane as an important part of the national energy mix going forward.

2. Energy security

As biomethane is produced locally, under controlled conditions, this helps provide a level of security. Some renewable energy sources rely on climate which can of course fluctuate. However with biomethane, production is sourced from feedstock which is always plentiful and available. With production being local this also means it is not influenced by external factors such as politics or financial markets.

3. Energy cost

Generally, biomethane is less prone to price spikes because it is produced from organic waste materials - agricultural waste, food waste and sewage sludge. This means supply chains are shorter and less exposed to market disruption. Feedstock availability can affect production costs, but even this has a lower impact than other fossil fuels.

Pipeline Materials for Renewable Gas Networks

The materials used in gas pipelines play a crucial role in the safe transportation of biomethane. Modern gas distribution networks typically use steel pipelines and polyethylene (PE) pipes, both of which are suitable for transporting biomethane if they are designed correctly.

Polyethylene pipes have become widely used in gas networks due to several advantages:

1. High resistance to corrosion
2. Flexibility during installation 
3. Long service life
4. Reduced risk of leaks compared with older metal pipes

Types of Gas Pipeline Materials Used in Modern Networks

Decarbonising the Gas Network

One of the huge advantages of biomethane is that it allows the UK to reduce emissions, while being able to continue using the existing gas infrastructure. Injecting biomethane into pipelines helps:

• Reduce reliance on fossil fuels
• Improve energy security
• Support waste management through anaerobic digestion
• Lower carbon emissions across the energy system

Challenges for Future Gas Pipelines

Despite its huge advantages, biomethane does present some challenges when it comes to pipeline infrastructure:

1. Gas quality control - renewable gas can vary depending on the feedstock used in anaerobic digestion. Strict monitoring of systems is required to ensure the gas meets network requirements.
2. Infrastructure integration - gas networks need to be capable of managing multiple distributed injection sites, rather than solely relying on one centralised gas source.
3. Capacity and demand - biomethane’s total production potential is limited by the availability of sustainable feedstocks. At present, biomethane is only capable of supplying a portion of the UK’s gas demand.

The Future of Gas Infrastructure

As the UK continues its transition towards lower-carbon energy, biomethane is expected to play an increasingly important role within the future energy mix. By allowing renewable gas to be transported through existing infrastructure, biomethane offers a practical way to help decarbonise the gas network without the need for completely new pipeline systems.

At Radius Systems, we continue to support the future of UK gas infrastructure through high-performance pipeline solutions designed for long-term reliability, safety and network performance.