Barrow Green Gas exports green gas to Europe for the ‘first’ time from the UK

Europe is receiving biomethane from the UK for the first time, green gas shipper Barrow Green Gas announced.

It is being sent from the UK to Europe via the interconnector pipeline to Essent in the Netherlands.

Essent, the largest energy company in the Netherlands, is importing green gas to meet growing demand in the Netherlands which cannot all be met locally.

The green, green gas of home

Essent manager of developing markets Tim Wijnen said: "Simply put, over time there will not be enough raw materials in the Netherlands to produce sufficient green gas from.

“It is anticipated that the number of green gas production sites will not be in step with the future demand. As the largest green gas supplier in the Netherlands, we have therefore given thought to how we will be able to continue to supply sufficient green gas in the Netherlands in the future too and that is to import green gas from neighbouring trusted countries."

The green gas is produced by joint venture Energen at Poundbury, which was the first commercial plant to inject green gas into the existing UK gas network. Barrow Green Gas delivers the green gas to RWE, Essent's parent company, for delivery to the Netherlands via a pipeline that connects the UK to continental Europe.

Barrow Green Gas managing director Tim Davis said: "We have worked closely with JV Energen, Essent and RWE to put in place the arrangements which mean that not only Green Gas Certificates but also green gas is being delivered from the UK to the Netherlands. All the parties involved have been ISCC certified to demonstrate compliance with sustainability requirements, another first for the UK biomethane industry."

This story was written by Liz Gyekye, editor of Bioenergy Insight.