Transcript New template effective from 2 Aug 2010

Biomethane connections – current developments
Biomaster Network Meeting
Norwich
11th November 2011
David Pickering
Typical biomethane entry facility
2
Getting connected – key issues
 Location of gas grid compared to Anaerobic Digestion plant?
 Does the gas grid have capacity?
 The GDN will provide an indication free of charge but to confirm
this, a chargeable Feasibility Study will be required
 What grid pressure?
 Will the gas meet the grid specification?
 Key issue is Oxygen concentration – requirement is <0.2%
 Design and Build Agreement
 Network Entry Agreement
3
Initial Enquiries
 Email : [email protected]
 Telephone : 01926 655798 or 01455 231 615
 All we need is a postcode and a flow rate of biomethane
4
What will you receive from an
Initial enquiry?
 Details of the nearest connecting pipe to your site.
 Pressure tier of connecting pipe. Often multiple options
available
 Volume of gas that can be accepted onto the network
and duration of time
 Scale map of your site and nearest connection
5
Face to face discussion
 Review of site
 Review of nearest connecting
pipe work
 Advice on costs
 Advice on injection equipment
 Gas specification requirements
for grid entry
6
Feasibility Study

Network connection options

Detailed network modelling and
demand forecasting

Cost of providing these
connections

Plant and equipment required to
be provided by the customer

Major environmental issues and
risks

Foreseen major engineering
difficulties

Programme of work required to
deliver a connection

Other issues relevant to providing
a connection
7
Connection issues
 Responsibility for providing grid connection equipment
 Provision of capacity
 Oxygen concentration <0.2%
 Requirement for propane
 Gas quality monitoring and energy measurement
A number of barriers to entry have been identified, and these are being
addressed by a joint industry group convened by Ofgem. See:
8
http://www.gasgovernance.co.uk/emib
Responsibility for grid connection
equipment
 The problem
 Uncertainty around responsibility for and level of costs of
connection
 The solution
 GDNs to offer choice over who builds and operates (GDN
or biomethane producer)
 GDNs to develop standard “plug and play” facilities
 Next steps
 GDNs to develop specifications for BM connection
equipment and interfaces
9
Provision of capacity
 The problem
1000
900
800
700
600
scm/h
 Low summer demand may
mean that the gas grid cannot
accept the biomethane on a
365 day basis
Expected Minimum Hourly Injection Rate (Overnight) Expected in the Driffield
Area Based on Standard Load Duration Curves
500
400
300
200
 The solution
100
0
Jan
 Install compressor within the
grid, to export gas from one
pressure tier to the higher
pressure one that feeds it, to
access remote demand
 Next steps
 Field trial to prove concept
Feb
Mar
Apr
Cold Profile
May
Jun
Average Profile
Jul
Aug
Sep
Warm Profile
Oct
Nov
Dec
Required Input
Medium Pressure
Network
Anaerobic
Digestion
Facility
Grid Injection
Equipment
Biomethane Producer’s Site
Pressure
Reduction
Station
National Grid
Site
Local Transmission
System
10
Oxygen
 The problem
 Current Regulations prescribe less than 0.2% oxygen in
grid gas – difficult to achieve for BM
 The solution
 Short term – individual exemptions for BM plants,
combined with blending to achieve 0.2%
 Longer term – class exemption for BM if HSE can be
convinced that there are no material additional risks
 Next steps
 GDNs sponsoring work to demonstrate no material risk of
pipe corrosion
11
Requirement for propane
 The problem
 Biomethane CV is low relative to grid CV, therefore
addition of propane is required to avoid triggering CV
“cap” (which would affect consumer bills) -but propane is
expensive (capex and opex)
 The solution
 Where local conditions allow, BM can be blended with
grid gas and CV measured downstream of the blending
point – minimise propane input
 Next steps
 Needs approval of low-cost CV measuring instruments
12
Remote CV monitoring at Adnams
13
Gas quality monitoring and energy
measurement
 The problem
 Currently monitoring and metering is very expensive
(around £150k) as approved devices relate to large
(North Sea scale) flows of gas
 The solution
 Revise measuring specs to be more appropriate for small
volumes and for less complex gas compositions
 Next steps
 EMIB expert group to make recommendations for change
in these areas by the end of 2011
14
Conclusions
 No material technical issues with biomethane grid entry
 DECC targets for gas to grid and RHI levels have
incentivised solutions to be found to remaining barriers
to entry
 Ofgem-convened Energy Market Issues for Biomethane
(EMIB) group is currently meeting, with the aim of
making recommendations by the end of 2011 for
changes to address barriers
15
Thank you
David Pickering
Sustainable Gas Development Manager
[email protected]