Members of SGN’s Board and Executive team visited Grissan Renewable Energy’s flagship biomethane site at Girvan on Scotland’s west coast to see how our partnership is transforming the UK’s energy landscape.
The South Ayrshire facility is the largest biomethane production site connected to SGN’s network. It generates up to 500GWh of biomethane each year, cutting carbon from the heat supply of tens of thousands of homes and making it a cornerstone of our decarbonisation strategy.
The Board toured Grissan’s Carrick anaerobic digestion facility and they were given an overview of the Girvan refuelling station for the locally operated fleet of green gas HGVs. They also saw Grissan’s newly-commissioned carbon capture plant, which provides several thousand tonnes of biogenic CO2 to the local food and drink manufacturing market, with the ultimate ambition of storing the gas permanently to produce negative emissions.
For over a decade, SGN and Grissan have worked together to inject renewable biomethane into Scotland’s gas network. Today, Grissan runs sites across the country producing enough green gas to supply the equivalent of 100,000 homes annually, with further connections planned at Girvan and beyond. This collaboration is key to our ambition of supplying the equivalent of one million homes with renewable biomethane by 2031.
Using advanced anaerobic digestion, Grissan converts distillery by-products into green gas, reducing waste and supporting a circular economy. The Girvan facility processes thousands of tonnes of organic material each year, generating enough biomethane to heat tens of thousands of homes and businesses through existing gas infrastructure.
SGN’s investment in biomethane is part of a wider commitment to help the UK hit net zero. By increasing low-carbon gas in our network, we’re paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.
Grissan and SGN are also founding partners of the Green Gas Taskforce, working across the industry to show how low-carbon gases can help the UK reach its net zero goal.
SGN Chair Becky Lumlock said: "Our visit to Girvan not only celebrated the success of our partnership with Grissan but also reaffirmed the importance of collaboration to help innovate and deliver sustainable heating solutions. Partnerships like this are essential to creating a greener energy system for the future.”
Grissan Managing Director Paul Blackler said: "Today, Grissan can be supplying as much as 4% of Scotland’s gas supply each year, which is a huge step towards greening our gas grid. Biomethane is a renewable, reliable and ready solution that can drop in for a number of important end-uses. As we reach a pivotal time for the industry with Government considering how best to support green gas generation we are delighted to have the support of the SGN and its Board in our important, sector-leading partnership.”
Biomethane is a proven, scalable solution that can make a real difference today. We already have the connected capacity to supply up to 10% of homes and businesses in Scotland, and we’re committed to building on this success alongside partners to unlock even more opportunities for green gas across our network. Our partnership with Grissan demonstrates how we can accelerate the transition to net zero while continuing to deliver reliable energy for our customers.
