Green by name, green by nature - biomethane is much more than hot air to Terry Green. Currently working as Biomethane Operations and Projects Manager in Renewable Developments, Terry is always looking for ways to equip our customers with renewable alternatives to traditional natural gas.
From off-shore gas structures in south-east Asia, to making the most of biogas in the UK, Terry's varied career has brought him to our future-focused Renewable Development team. We caught up with him to find out more about his hopes to steer our green future.
What's your role all about?
Well, no two days are the same - I'll be in the office one day, then the next, I'll be out getting my hands dirty in the field, installing or maintaining our biomethane assets.
I'm involved in everything from operations on site, to project management and designing, installing, commissioning and maintaining new plant and equipment. It's all exciting stuff; upgrading biogas for injection enables us to 'green' the gas network and helps us meet our decarbonisation targets.
Tell us a bit about the renewable development team
We're always looking to find ways to work with customers who want to generate biomethane and other non-conventional gases. Take our work with BrewDog, for example. You might know it as the world's first carbon-negative beer brand, keen to keep on top of its emissions.
We're helping BrewDog to install and commission a biomethane grid entry unit and export pipeline, so it can produce green gas on site and inject it into our adjacent gas network. It's an exciting project currently under construction in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
How does the team help us steer our future?
Right now, we're keeping our business on track through tricky times. Rising energy costs, carbon dioxide (CO2) shortages and our long-term goal of decarbonising the network are all challenges that could impact our future.
But that's exactly what our team is all about: we need to be ready for what's happening in an ever-changing world. The current CO2 shortage means we're looking at how we could capture carbon in our existing biomethane sites where CO2 is vented.
No matter what the future holds, we keep in close contact with our Energy Futures team about what's on the horizon and our priorities for the future.
What excites you about the future?
Right now, our team is growing, thanks to a few big contract wins over the last year. I'm really enjoying my role and I'm keen to see what biomethane holds for us in the future, both as a widely used green gas and as a sustainable fuel for road vehicles, as well as how the relationship between biomethane and hydrogen develops.
Hopefully, as the UK works towards net zero, we'll continue to be a leading supplier in green gas solutions and encourage more renewable opportunities.
What would you say to someone looking to move into a role in renewable development?
We're a very close-knit team that actively supports each other. There can be some challenging scenarios and odd working hours but you get a real sense of job satisfaction. Biomethane isn't a new industry, but more and more investors are looking to it to help tackle the climate crisis - and we're part of the solution.