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

‘Mobilising EUR 1 Trillion in Investments’ | North Sea Countries, Industry, TSOs to Ink Offshore Wind Pact

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Government officials from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK are set to sign a declaration confirming the ambition to build 300 GW of offshore wind in the North Seas by 2050, and an investment pact with the offshore wind industry and transmission system operators (TSOs) that is said to mobilise EUR 1 trillion in economic activity.

These three paragraphs add a lot of powerful detail.

Under the Offshore Wind Investment Pact for the North Seas, to be signed today (26 January) at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg, governments of the nine North Sea countries will commit to building 15 GW of offshore wind per year from 2031 to 2040.

The heads of state and energy ministers will also vow to de-risk offshore wind investments through a commitment to provide two-sided Contracts for Difference (CfDs) as the standard for offshore wind auction design. The pact also commits governments to remove any regulatory obstacles to power purchase agreements (PPAs), according to WindEurope, which will sign the pact on behalf of the industry.

On the industry’s side, the commitment is to drive down the costs of offshore wind by 30 per cent towards 2040, mobilise EUR 1 trillion of economic activity for Europe, create 91,000 additional jobs and invest EUR 9.5 billion in manufacturing, port infrastructure and vessels.

These two paragraphs say something about cost reductions.

The cost reduction of offshore wind is planned to be achieved through scale effects, lower costs of capital and further industrialisation supported by clarity and visibility on the project pipeline.

The transmission system operators (TSOs) will identify cost-effective cooperation projects in the North Sea, including 20 GW of promising cross-border projects by 2027 for deployment in the 2030s.

I hope there is a project management system, that can step into this frenzy, just as Artemis did in the 1970s with North Sea Oil and Gas.

The BBC has reported the story under a title of UK To Join Major Wind Farm Project With Nine European Countries.

this is the sub-title.

The UK is set to back a vast new fleet of offshore wind projects in the North Sea alongside nine other European countries including Norway, Germany and the Netherlands.

These six paragraphs add more detail.

The government says the deal will strengthen energy security by offering an escape from what it calls the “fossil fuel rollercoaster”.

For the first time, some of the new wind farms will be linked to multiple countries through undersea cables known as interconnectors, which supporters say should lower prices across the region.

But it could prove controversial as wind farm operators would be able to shop around between countries to sell power to the highest bidder – potentially driving up electricity prices when supply is tight.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will sign a declaration on Monday at a meeting on the future of the North Sea in the German city of Hamburg, committing to complete the scheme by 2050.

Jane Cooper, deputy CEO of industry body RenewableUK, said the deal would “drive down costs for billpayers” as well as increasing “the energy security of the UK and the whole of the North Sea region significantly”.

But Claire Countinho, shadow energy secretary, warned “we cannot escape the fact that the rush to build wind farms at breakneck speed is pushing up everybody’s energy bills.”

Claire Coutinho, as an outsider at present and a member of a party out of Government had to say something negative, but  her negotiations  when she was UK Energy Minister with her German opposite number, which I wrote about in UK And Germany Boost Offshore Renewables Ties, seem very much a precursor to today’s agreement.

 

January 26, 2026 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Finance & Investment, Hydrogen | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment