In 2015 the UK was the fastest growing bio-methane market in the world, and a report produced by the UK’s Renewable Energy Association earlier this year found that 84% of people would like to use bio-methane in their homes.
The government has said that bio-methane-to-grid technology “is a key renewable technology that has the potential to make a significant contribution to the UK’s 2020 renewable energy commitments.”
This renewable gas is produced from food waste, sewage sludges and even specially grown energy crops through a process known as anaerobic digestion (AD). However, the bio-methane generated through this process will not have a high enough calorific value to be injected directly into the gas grid.
In order to ensure that it reaches the required quality standards and that customers get the energy that they paid for it is ‘spiked’ with LPG, which has a higher calorific value.
Calor gas has already been used by cheese producer Wyke Farms at its site in Bruton, Somerset, which converts 75,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste per year into renewable gas that is blended with LPG before being sold to the National Grid. Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru) also used LPG from Calor to boost the energy content of bio-methane produced from sewage at its Five Fords plant.
As more and more companies look to turn waste products such as food residue and sewage into a revenue stream, the importance of LPG to this source of renewable power and heat looks set to grow and grow.
Ken Davies, bio-methane expert at Calor says: “We’re proud that Calor gas has such a vital role to play in the growth of this important energy source. We deliver a reliable and highly trusted service that allows our customers to provide the communities around them with affordable, renewable gas.
“LPG has the lowest carbon emissions of all off-grid fossil fuels, and as such makes the perfect partner fuel for supporting renewable technologies.”