The Anonymous Widower

Centrica Energy Signs Biomethane Agreement With Stream BioEnergy

The title of this post, is the same as that as this news item from Centrica.

This is the sub-heading.

Centrica Energy, in collaboration with Bord Gáis Energy, has signed an agreement with Stream BioEnergy to provide long term offtake and route-to-market services for Ireland’s largest biomethane facility processing municipal food and garden waste under development near Cork, Ireland. The plant will convert food and green waste into renewable biomethane for injection into the Irish gas grid, supporting the country’s decarbonisation goals and circular economy ambitions.

These two paragraphs add more details.

Stream BioEnergy is a leading developer of biogas plants in Ireland, and this new project represents a significant step forward in scaling sustainable gas production from organic waste. When operational in 2027, the new plant will process 90,000 tonnes per year of domestic and commercial food and garden waste to generate 80GWh annually of unsubsidised biomethane.

Under the agreement, Centrica Energy will offtake 100% of the biomethane produced at the facility and manage the associated green certificates, ensuring the renewable gas reaches end users efficiently and sustainably. The deal is supported by Bord Gáis Energy, Centrica’s Irish energy supply business, which will play a key role in enabling the delivery of biomethane to the Irish market.

It looks like Centrica are using their expertise to distribute the gas and do all the required green paperwork.

 

What Is The Major Use In Ireland Of Biomethane?

This was the obvious question to ask Google AI.

I received this answer.

The major use of biomethane in Ireland is as a renewable substitute for natural gas, primarily injected directly into the national gas grid to decarbonise the heating, industrial, and transport sectors.

While currently a developing industry (with around 75 GWh per annum produced in 2024), Ireland’s National Biomethane Strategy aims for a rapid scale-up, targeting 5.7 TWh by 2030 to meet 10% of national gas demand.

Key areas of focus include:

Grid Injection & Heating: Biomethane is injected into the gas network to decarbonise residential, commercial, and industrial heating.

Transport Fuel (Bio-CNG): It is used as a sustainable alternative to diesel for heavy-duty vehicles (HGVs) and buses, often under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO).

Industrial Use: It is employed in sectors that are difficult to electrify, helping companies meet sustainability and carbon reduction goals.

Circular Economy/Agricultural Support: The production process creates a byproduct called digestate, which is used as a sustainable bio-fertiliser, helping farmers reduce reliance on chemical fertilisers.

The sector is currently shifting from relying solely on food waste to incorporating agricultural residues like slurry and grass silage.

Are Centrica Involved In Biomethane In The UK?

Out of curiosity, I had to ask Google AI this question.

I received this answer.

Yes, Centrica is actively involved in the biomethane sector in the UK, focusing on offtaking, trading, and transporting green gas, as well as investing in infrastructure.

Key aspects of their involvement include:

Partnerships and Offtake Agreements: Centrica Energy Trading has signed a 15-year agreement with Yorkshire Water and SGN Commercial Services to offtake biomethane from two new gas-to-grid plants in Yorkshire.

Production Capacity: The aforementioned plants, located at Blackburn Meadows and Knostrop, are designed to produce approximately 125GWh of biomethane annually, sufficient to heat over 10,000 homes.

Investment in Bio-LNG/CNG: Centrica acquired a 16% stake in Gasrec, the UK’s largest provider of bio-LNG (liquefied natural gas) and bio-CNG (compressed natural gas) for heavy goods vehicles, supporting the decarbonization of road transport.

Green Gas Trading: Through partnerships like the investment in Barrow Green Gas (BGG), a leading UK green gas supplier, Centrica has established itself as a major player in shipping green gas in the GB network.

Industrial Solutions: Centrica Business Solutions offers “Biomethane CHP” (Combined Heat and Power) to large organizations, enabling them to use green gas certificates to reduce their carbon footprint.

Centrica is aiming to expand its biomethane activities to support its net-zero goals, with a particular focus on using sewage treatment and other waste products for energy.

This seems to fit the pattern of the Irish deal.

Could Centrica be looking for lessons in Ireland, that can be applied to the UK market?

Do British Gas Research Have A Reputation For Innovation?

As British Gas Research developed the heata, which is an idea I like, I felt that it could be enlightening to ask this question of Google AI.

I received this answer.

Yes, British Gas (and its parent company Centrica) has a strong, long-standing reputation for innovation, particularly in the areas of home energy technology, customer services, and net-zero solutions. Their research and development (R&D) efforts are focused on energy efficiency, smart technology, and decarbonization.

Key areas where British Gas demonstrates a reputation for innovation include:

Smart Home Tech (Hive): British Gas pioneered the mass adoption of smart thermostats in the UK with the launch and development of Hive, a key part of their digital strategy for home energy management.

Low Carbon & Renewables: The company is a leading installer of heat pumps and is actively involved in hydrogen innovation for heating solutions.

Digital Customer Experience: They have utilized AI for, among other things, automating complaints root cause analysis and have developed advanced digital tools to allow customers to manage energy usage via apps.

Energy Transition Research: Through Centrica, they invest significant amounts annually in renewable generation and flexible energy solutions to meet net-zero targets.

Data Analytics: British Gas has partnered with research firms to use technologies like eye-tracking to improve the effectiveness of their digital ads and customer engagement.

Strategic Partnerships: They collaborate with industry leaders like Samsung and Barclays to provide energy efficiency incentives and optimize home appliance use.

While they are a major player in new technologies, it is important to note that the broader gas industry is currently focusing on “digital by default” and “flexible and seamless connections” for green gases, as part of their 2026-2028 strategy.

British Gas Research could give the sort of support, that those in the front line need.

April 24, 2026 Posted by | Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Centrica Secures Investment Stake In Gasrec Helping Boost UK Bio-LNG Ambitions

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.

This is the sub-heading.

Centrica has secured a minority stake in Gasrec, the UK’s largest dual provider of bio-LNG (bio-Liquified Natural Gas) and bio-CNG (bio-Compressed Natural Gas) to the road transport sector,

These first two paragraphs give more details.

Gasrec says the investment will drive the next phase of its infrastructure ambitions, with plans to open a UK wide network of open-access refuelling stations supplying renewable bio-LNG for the decarbonisation of heavy goods vehicles.

Centrica is taking a 16% stake and becomes one of three major shareholders in Gasrec, alongside global integrated energy company bp and private family office 44 North.

I have some thoughts.

Does Running A Truck On bio-LNG or bio-CNG. Reduce Carbon Emissions?

This paragraph from the press release, gives the thoughts of Chris O’Shea, who is Group Chief Executive, Centrica.

Chris O’Shea, Group Chief Executive, Centrica plc, said: “Demand for bio-LNG for transport is growing fast as more HGV operators make the switch – drawn by a clean, ready-to-use fuel which slashes CO2 emissions by up to 85 per cent in comparison to diesel*. This investment in Gasrec enhances our collaboration with the leading company in the sector, and puts us in a strong position to energise a vital sector of the industry on its journey to net zero.”

As Centrica is a public company, with shareholders, who would take a dim view of Mr. O’Shea telling porkies, I suspect we can assume that the following is true.

Drawn by a clean, ready-to-use fuel which slashes CO2 emissions by up to 85 per cent in comparison to diesel.

The asterisk in the full quote, refers to this note.

Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, Innovate UK and Office for Low Emission Vehicles, Low Emission Freight & Logistics Trial (LEFT), Key Findings, November 2020. Using specific feedstocks CO2 reductions of 200% are achievable.

Centrica could be being conservative with their claims.

Decarbonising Buses, Locomotives And Trucks

Despite what Elon Musk, would have us believe, electric trucks will not dominate the future of freight transport.

An electric truck would be the vehicle equivalent of asking Usain Bolt to run a hundred metres with a large refrigerator on his back.

Trucks are going to need a fuel without a weight penalty and with a long range.

I asked Google for information about Cummins diesel, natural gas and hydrogen engines and received this AI Overview.

Cummins offers engines powered by diesel, natural gas, and hydrogen. While diesel engines are well-established, Cummins is also developing both natural gas and hydrogen engines, particularly focusing on hydrogen as a pathway to zero-carbon solutions for various applications. Cummins utilizes a fuel-agnostic platform, meaning a common base engine can be adapted for different fuel types, including diesel, natural gas, and hydrogen.

Recently, GB Railfreight purchased thirty Class 99 locomotives from Stadler.

  • They can use electrification, where it exists.
  • Where electrification doesn’t exist, they can use an onboard Cummins diesel engine, which is built in Darlington.
  • In electric-mode, they have 6.2 MW of power, and are the most powerful locomotives ever to run on UK railways.
  • In diesel-mode, they have 1.8 MW of power, which is more than enough to haul a large container train in and out of Felixstowe.

I had thought that at some future date, Cummins would convert these locomotives to electro-hydrogen.

But now that Gasrec is providing bio-LNG and bio-CNG, GB Railfreight, have the option of converting both hydrogen and biomethane.

Similar logic can be applied to Wrightbus’s Streetdeck Ultroliner, one version of which is fitted with a Cummins engine, that can be converted to electric, hydrogen or natural gas, which of course includes biomethane. This page on the Wrightbus web site describes the bus.

Wrightbus are also going back into coach manufacture, as I wrote about in Wrightbus Goes Back To The Future As It Relaunches The Contour Coach. As with the Streetdeck Ultroliner, Cummins seem to be providing one of the power units.

It seems to me, that the zero- and low-carbon revolution in transport will generate a need for the availability of biomethane, hydrogen and natural gas fuel for transport all over the country.

Gasrec with around twenty biomethane fuelling points around the country, seem well-placed to supply the biomethane in bio-LNG or bio-CNG  form.

Could Gasrec Deliver Hydrogen?

Various bus companies in the UK, have had difficulty getting the fuel for their hydrogen buses.

I believe that delivering hydrogen would be very similar to delivering LNG and if Gasrec can deliver LNG successfully and safely, they probably have the technology to do the same for hydrogen.

Centrica Seem To Be Assembling An Interesting Consortium

These are some deals, that I have reported on this blog, that involve Centrica.

Note.

  1. A lot of these deals are are about hydrogen production.
  2. Some of these deals are about biomethane production.
  3. None of these deals talk about getting hydrogen and biomethane to customers.

It appears to me, that Gasrec have a model that works to get hydrogen, methane and biomethane from production and storage to the end customers.

Developing A Rural Hydrogen Network

In Developing A Rural Hydrogen Network, I talked about supplying all those millions of off-gas grid properties with hydrogen for heating, agricultural and industrial purposes, in the countryside of the UK.

Gasrec have the technology to decarbonise the countryside.

Conclusion

Gasrec would appear to be a very useful partner for Centrica.

 

September 3, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment