Major biomethane milestone for UK as sector prepares for rapid, coordinated expansion

Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network, has today confirmed that the total volume of biomethane injected into its pipelines since 2013 has now exceeded 1.5 billion cubic metres. 

The figure marks a significant moment for the UK’s green gas sector. In energy terms, the volume delivered to date is equivalent to heating around 1.5 million homes for a year, or every household in Leicestershire for five years. It represents an estimated 3 million tonnes of CO₂ avoided compared with the use of natural gas, which is the same as taking 750,000 cars off the road for a year.

Biomethane is renewable energy because it is derived from continually replenished organic materials, including agricultural residues, sewage and food waste. It is increasingly seen as one of the practical, near‑term options available to support the UK’s wider transition away from fossil‑based energy sources.

Cadent’s networks have an installed capacity of around 4TWh of biomethane – this is the annual gas usage of 351,000 homes – and has set a target to scale this to 20TWh by 2035 (which equates to the approximate annual gas usage of 1.8 million homes).

With over 80,000 miles of pipeline supplying most homes, businesses, public services and energy‑intensive industries, Cadent says its network is uniquely placed to help biomethane scale rapidly and support the UK’s net zero ambitions.

The milestone is revealed as a deadline nears for prospective biomethane developers to apply for an opportunity to share the reinforcement cost associated with connecting their plant into the gas network.

To support growing interest from biomethane developers, Cadent recently introduced a new Entry Reinforcement Assessment Window, following changes to industry rules on how reinforcement costs are distributed. The assessment window closes at midnight on 6 March 2026. More information is at www.cadentgas.com/bio-entry

Under previous arrangements, the first project in an area requiring network entry reinforcement would have faced bearing the full cost of upgrading local infrastructure, a barrier to entry often highlighted by developers. Cadent’s updated process assesses planned projects in ‘clusters’ (groups) and considers reinforcement needs on a shared basis.

Howard Forster, Chief Operating Officer at Cadent, said:

Biomethane is one of the fastest, most cost‑effective ways to decarbonise heat today. But the industry has been held back by outdated charging rules that placed the entire reinforcement burden on individual developers.

This new process – the first‑of‑its‑kind in our industry – moves away from the ‘first‑connector pays’ principle. It creates a fairer, more customer‑centric path for biomethane projects to connect.

By clustering applications and sharing reinforcement costs, we’re helping unlock the next wave of biomethane growth across our networks.

We’re encouraging developers to put their hat in the ring. 

Every application gives us a clearer understanding of where biomethane demand is greatest, which in turn strengthens our evidence base in discussions with Ofgem about future funding and support for reinforcement.

By stepping forward and applying now, biomethane developers help shape a more coordinated and cost‑efficient approach to reinforcement that benefits the whole sector.

There are currently 47 biomethane plants connected to Cadent’s network, which covers North West England, South Yorkshire, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England and North London. The first biomethane plant was connected to Cadent’s network in 2013.

Developers planning new biomethane projects who wish to be included in the current entry reinforcement assessment cycle should apply before the window closes on 6 March at www.cadentgas.com/bio-entry