News from GGCS

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Press Release: Sustainable Green Gas to grow under the Government’s proposed amendments

Posted: 29 November, 2016. Written by Ciaran

• Department for Transport releases consultation on the UK’s Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation
• Use of green gas set to increase as “biomethane,” a renewable gas derived from food and other organic wastes, is to be used as a transport fuel
• Biomethane included in sub-target for as an advanced, waste-derived renewable fuel
• Biomethane is an powerful and sustainable means of decarbonising heavy goods vehicles

The Green Gas Certification Scheme has today welcomed the Department of Transport’s proposal to incentivise ‘development’ transport fuels through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. One of these fuels is biomethane, a renewable green gas produced from biomass and wastes which can either be injected to the gas grid or shipped to the point of use.

 

Virginia Graham, Chief Executive of the Green Gas Certification Scheme, commented

“Currently most biomethane is injected into the gas distribution network. It can then be taken out, where needed, and used for various purposes, including for transport. It makes an excellent, clean vehicle fuel, bringing benefits in terms of decarbonisation, reduced particulate emissions and lower noise levels.

“Injecting the gas directly into the grid at source is more reliable than taking it to the point of use by other means. The Green Gas Certification Scheme tracks biomethane injected into the grid in one location to where it is taken out and used in another. This tracking ensures that each unit of gas taken out of the grid matches exactly a unit of gas injected and ensures that there can be no duplication or double counting. The scheme can also be used to perform this role for other non-biological renewable fuels such as hydrogen.”

 

John Baldwin, Chair of the Renewable Energy Association’s Biogas Group said:

“The UK has a tremendous asset in its gas network, and it can be progressively decarbonised through measures such as steadily increasing the share of renewable gas.

“While the proposed changes are a positive step we would like to see more ambition. There is an urgent need decarbonise our heavy trucks fleet and the use of biomethane and Bio-SNG delivered via the gas grid are viable ways to do so.”

- Ends -

 

Notes to Editors

 

The Government’s Consultations can be found here and here

 

For more information or to request an interview, contact

 

Syed Ahmed

Policy Advisor, GGCS

sahmed@greengas.org.uk

07941 036526

or

Ciaran Burns

Scheme Manager, GGCS

cburns@greengas.org.uk

0207 981 0853

 

About the Green Gas Certification Scheme

The Green Gas Certification Scheme (GGCS) tracks biomethane, or ‘green gas’, through the supply chain to provide certainty for those that buy it. Each unit of green gas injected into the grid displaces a unit of conventional gas. So the GGCS tracks each unit of green gas from its injection into the distribution grid, to any trades, to its sale to a consumer, or group of consumers. It tracks the contractual rather than physical flows to ensure there is no double-counting from production to end use.

The GGCS is run by the Renewable Energy Association’s subsidiary, Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd. GGCS participants oversee the way it is run, on a not-for-profit basis.

Further information is available at www.greengas.org.uk

Green Gas Certification Scheme (GGCS)

6 Spring House

London, SE11 5EE

Tel: 020 7981 0853