Enough biogas to heat 10,000 homes will be produced by two biomethane plants planned by Yorkshire Water in the UK.

The water utility has signed 15-year agreements with SGN Commercial Services and Centrica Energy Trading that will see biomethane gas-to-grid plants introduced at Knostrop and Blackburn Meadows wastewater treatment works. The biomethane will then be injected into the local gas network via underground pipelines and used as a renewable fuel in vehicles, homes or industry.

Biogas is a by-product of Yorkshire Water’s existing sewage treatment processes, and the upgraded systems will be able to separate methane from the other component gases. This enhanced biogas is called biomethane or renewable natural gas.

As part of the deal, biomethane gas-to-grid plants will be designed, developed and operated at both sites. Once operational, they will produce roughly 125GWh of biomethane annually, enough to heat more than 10,000 homes.

“We already benefit from biogas-fuelled renewable energy generation," said Tom Hall, head of bioresources at Yorkshire Water, "but this project demonstrates our commitment to using markets to improve our operational efficiency, reduce customer bills and facilitate carbon emissions reductions in the wider economy.”

It is hoped the biomethane gas-to-grid plants will be operational at Knostrop, which is south-east of Leeds, and Blackburn Meadows, which serves Sheffield, in early 2025.

SGN’s business development director Marcus Hunt said, “We’re delighted to announce this partnership with Yorkshire Water – it adds to our ambition to increase biomethane injection into the gas network to provide local customers with green gas and support decarbonisation plans.”

Kristian Gjerløv-Juel, director for renewable energy trading and optimisation at Centrica Energy Trading commented, “We’re working to accelerate biomethane production across Europe and using our capabilities to help businesses deliver on their green procurement strategies and reduce emissions.”