Bristol welcomes gas-to-grid plant

A new gas-to-grid plant has opened at Bristol sewage treatment works in the UK.

The plant is run by Wessex Water subsidiary GENeco, which has become the first company in the UK to start injecting gas generated from food waste and sewage into the natural gas grid network and at the same time install a gas refuelling plant for a compressed natural gas (CNG) bus.

Seventeen million m3 of biomethane is generated a year at the Bristol plant and the 'Bio-Bus' will be able to travel 300km on a full tank of renewable gas.

CNG Services, a specialists in the injection of biomethane to the UK gas grid, was involved in the design, project management and commissioning of the project.

GENco's GM Mohammed Saddiq says: 'Through treating sewage and good that is unfit for human consumption we're able to produce enough biomethane to provide a significant supply of gas to the national gas network that's capable of powering almost 8,500 homes as well as fuelling the Bio-Bus.'

He continues: 'Gas powered vehicles have an important role to play in improving air quality in UK cities, but the Bio-Bus goes further than that and is actually powered by people living in the local area, including quite possibly those on the bus itself. Using biomethane in this way not only provides a sustainable fuel, but also reduces our reliance on traditional fossil fuels.'

John Baldwin, MD of CNG Services, adds: 'Wessex is leading the way both in reducing CO2, producing green gas that can be both used for heating homes and for fuelling buses.'