New pressure control technology will be installed at SGN's biomethane's sites to increase the amount of renewable gas which can be injected into our pipes.
We've contracted Utonomy to supply intelligent pressure control technology and management systems on our medium-pressure network on the Isle of Sheppey. This innovative solution will increase biomethane injection capacity and help us deliver on our commitment to making our gas network greener and smarter.
The UtonomyOne can remotely change the pressure of regulators feeding the networks, ensuring biomethane injection is always prioritised over natural gas feed-in. This replaces costly and inefficient manual adjustment, and means our biomethane sites can be used to their full capacity.
We've currently got 42 biomethane plants connected to our networks in Scotland and southern England - supplying green gas to 320,000 domestic properties. Following the first installation of UtonomyOne on the Isle of Sheppey, we plan to roll out this technology more widely to help us reach our target of supplying one million customers with biomethane by 2031. This is expected to save approximately 2.1 million tCO2e every year compared with the same number of customers using natural gas.
Adam Kingdon, Founder and CEO of Utonomy, said: “Our technology is helping to prepare the networks for the low-carbon transition by helping operators to control pressures and prioritise the feed-in of green gas such as biomethane and hydrogen.
“We are thrilled to have been awarded this contract to supply our pressure management and control solution to SGN, thereby increasing biomethane injection capacity on their network.
“Developing this solution to remotely control pressure in the medium-pressure network really was a collaborative process with SGN, and builds on solutions already developed with SGN for minimising leakage in low-pressure networks."
Pressure monitoring and control are an essential tool enabling SGN to achieve the commitments made in respect of biomethane injection targets identified in the RIIOGD3 Environmental Action Plan (EAP).
It has been a pleasure to work with Utonomy to develop an innovative remote control pressure management system that will help us to increase the amount of biomethane injected into our networks. This will ensure we deliver on our commitment to make gas networks greener, smarter, safer and more resilient, as we progress through the energy transition and move towards a sustainable future.
