ASSOCIATION NEWS
“The industry stands ready to deliver biomethane projects, with a rich pipeline of projects in development and local large energy users demonstrating demand for biomethane in order to meet national and global supply chain needs.”
L-R: David Honeyford (Alliance Party), Cathal Mallaghan (Sinn Féin), Matthew O’Toole (SDLP), Phillip Brett (DUP) and Robbie Butler (UUP) participated in a Q&A panel discussion at the conference.
Carl Arntzen, Worcester Bosch.
used to heat our homes and businesses, decarbonisation of heat needs to be front and centre in future thinking. The opportunity to decarbonise the gas network through injection of renewable gases can be further supported by the introduction of hybrid heating solutions. The conference welcomed a contribution from Worcester Bosch CEO Carl Arntzen, who outlined their experiences and challenges in retrofitting full electric solutions into existing housing stock. With 50% of heating replacements coming from distress purchases (broken- down boilers), Carl highlighted that for many consumers their priority is the fast restoration of heating and hot water, citing full heat pump installs as too lengthy, too disruptive and too expensive to justify minimal long-term financial savings. Their experience is that consumers are more receptive to a step-change approach - installing a hybrid system in which the heat pump provides around 80% of the heating demand, while the gas boiler supplies all domestic hot water. This offers a faster, more affordable installation and still delivers significant carbon reductions. As Carl Arntzen from Worcester Bosch put it, “It’s better to decarbonise 80% for
the majority than 100% for the few.” This mindset was echoed by Intergas Heating Solutions, which was recently commissioned to carry out a study on 200 hybrid heating systems in the Netherlands, where they have been monitoring their performance over two winters. Consumers experienced c.75% reduction in gas consumption and around 40% reduction in running costs.
WHAT WERE THE KEY TAKEAWAYS?
Jonathan Martindale, Phoenix Energy.
There is unwavering support from both industry and policymakers for accelerating the injection of renewable gases into the local network if Northern Ireland is serious about meeting its emissions targets. However, significant work is still required to turn this ambition into action. It was also clear that the NI Executive must develop a dedicated Biomethane Strategy to translate this ambition into concrete, actionable plans. The conference further highlighted the urgent need for support schemes, underpinned by appropriate legislative and regulatory frameworks, to enable investment in deliverable projects. Whilst these challenges will require a large degree of co-operation and co-ordination
across many sectors, the energy and commitment from all delegates offered a reassurance that these opportunities have a real tangible chance to progress. I look forward to updating you on what advancements have been made at our next NI Network Gas Association event.
197 Airport Road West, Belfast BT3 9ED T: +44 (0)3454 555 555 www.phoenixenergyni.com
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