Two leading national energy providers are partnering with local North West businesses to build a facility in Stockport which will be at the cutting edge of renewable gas production in the UK.

British Gas and Bio Group have this week announced that they have signed an agreement to build a facility on the former Ashton Road landfill site that will convert commercial food waste in to renewable gas.

The £5million facility, which will open in April 2012, will use food waste from local hotels, restaurants and even British Gas’s own offices, to generate enough renewable gas to supply up to 1,400 homes every year.

“We are delighted to be working with British Gas to make a real difference to energy provision in the North West.” said Steve Sharratt, Chief Executive of Bio Group.  “Fairfield Bio Energy has been designed using our groundbreaking technology as the next stage of a national roll out of anaerobic digestion plants. This will make a real difference to the future use of renewable gas usage across Greater Manchester.”

Renewable, or ‘Green Gas’ is sourced from organic material, such as cattle slurry, food or household waste. It is predominantly made up of methane and has similar thermal characteristics to natural gas which, once upgraded to grid specification, can be injected into the gas grid for end use by customers.

Gearóid Lane, Managing Director of Communities and New Energy, British Gas, said: “This project will be the third renewable gas facility we’ve opened, coming hot ont he heels of our partnerships with Thames Water and Scotia Gas Networks and Adnams Bio Energy.”

Food waste will be collected from around the North West by SKK Waste Solutions who provide a comprehensive and reliable waste collection, recycling and skip hire service in Stockport and the surrounding areas.

Biomethane will make a contribution to decarbonising the gas grid by delivering renewable heat to households through the existing gas network and central heating boilers.  According to a study by National Grid, it could account for at least 15 per cent of the domestic gas market by 2020.

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: “British Gas and Bio Group’s deal is proof the announcement of the Renewable Heat Incentive is already stimulating green growth and increasing the amount of renewable energy in the UK. I look forward
to hearing about the progress of this project which will be amongst the first of its kind in the country to deliver green gas to homes.”

British Gas and Bio Group are founding partners in a scheme launched earlier this year that will bring certainty to consumers that the gas they buy is totally ‘green’.

The Green Gas Certification Scheme (GGCS) tracks biomethane, or ‘green gas’, through the supply chain to provide certainty for those that buy it and has been established by the Renewable Energy Association working with industry.

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For more information please contact

Bio Group press
office on 07835 309718 or the Centrica press office on 0800 107
7014

• Bio Group is making a difference. They are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, through a profitable, diverse network of facilities, turning organic waste into renewable energy, whilst at the same time creating organic soils for application to land as part of the battle against desertification. www.biogroup.co.uk

• British Gas is a British-owned company. As part of the Centrica Group, they provide gas, electricity and homerepair services to millions of customers in Scotland, Wales and England. They are the UK’s leading energy and Home Services provider.www.britishgas.co.uk

• Solutions SK are a wholly owned company of Stockport Council who strive to deliver competitive services to not only residents in and around the borough, but also to public and private businesses in Stockport and beyond. www.solutionssk.co.uk

• Fairfield Bio Energy will be built on the site is on what was the Ashton Road landfill site. In its time all of the land in that area was excavated for its clay and used by Jacksons brickworks (which were on site) to make bricks. All the old excavated clay pits were then used as a landfill site by what was the old Bredbury and Romiley Urban District Council. This site ceased to be used as a landfill site circa 1974/5 at about the same time as Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council was formed.

A leading national green energy provider based in the East of England who reduce greenhouse gas emissions, through a profitable, diverse network of facilities, turning organic waste into renewable energy have welcomed recent announcements at Westminster that will see renewable energy play a growing role in the future of the UK.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change have published their UK Renewable Energy Roadmap setting out how by 2020, 15% of the nation’s energy consumption will be met by renewable sources. Following this, local Member of Parliament Dr Dan Poulter has raised the challenges ‘green’ energy faces.

Steve Sharratt OBE, the Chief Executive of Bio Group, who are a founding partners with UK energy providers in the Green Gas Certification Scheme (GGCS) said, “The publishing of the roadmap is a clear indication that the government continues to be serious about the need to ensure renewable energy is at the heart of future energy plans for the UK.”

“Furthermore, we are encouraged that Dr Dan Poulter, a Suffolk Member of Parliament has raised the issue of anaerobic digestion and what the government needs to do to ensure this important process can be developed further.”

“The Coalition Government has made clear its commitment to increasing the deployment of renewable energy across the UK in the sectors of electricity, heat and transport.” said Chris Huhne, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he presented the road map to Parliament.  “It will make the UK more energy secure, will help protect consumers from fossil fuel price fluctuations, is driving investment in new jobs and businesses in the renewable energy sector, as well as keep us on track to meet our carbon reduction objectives for the coming decades.”

Bio Group, designed, built and operate the Adnams Bio Energy site in Southwold which was completed last summer and is the first built in the UK to inject green gas into the National Grid. The first handover of green gas was reported on national television and was reported as far as field as in the New York Times.

Following on from the announcement, Dr Poulter, the Member for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich told Gregory Baker MP, the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change in a debate that while Anaerobic digestion has a number of advantages over other renewable energy technologies people are having “specific problems getting through the planning process to support the development of anaerobic digestion plants.”

In response to Dr Poulter, the Minister said that the government are keen that where any renewable energy installation occurs in a local community, the local community should share in the wider benefits and the financial benefits. “There is a whole range of community benefits, but we need to do a better job of explaining them to local residents.” Greg Barker MP said.

“Bio Group is proud of its work with the local community in the East of England.” Steve Sharratt added. “Over the last few months we have partnered up with local schools such as St Felix in Southwold and businesses like Waitrose who are ensuring their food waste is now turned into green gas for the National Grid.”

“Bio Group welcomes the government’s commitment to renewable energy and the roadmap is the next step in a very important process. We look forward to working with the Department, with MPs and with businesses across the East of England to ensure the future energy needs of our region are met. Having set out the roadmap, attention must now be absolutely focussed on delivery – action always speaks louder than words.”

Greg Barker added that the coalition Government is committed to increasing substantially the generation of renewable electricity and heat from waste through anaerobic digestion as well as through advanced conversion technologies such as gasification. “Energy from a range of waste products contributes to reducing emissions, enhancing energy security and creating green jobs.” the Minister told Dan Poulter in the House of Commons.

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For further comment please contact Ashley Riley on 07835 309718 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highor Steve Sharratt OBE at Bio Group on 0844 6330100 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Bio Group exists to make a difference. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, through a profitable, diverse network of facilities, turning organic waste into renewable energy, whilst at the same time creating organic soils for application to land as part of the battle against desertification.

Bio Groups key technology is the groundbreaking AD biomethane facility, with a negative carbon footprint – more details of our facilities will be published during the summer. Their sites involve and are part of the local community and each new site will have a Visitor and Education Centre, engaging with people, from schoolchildren to grandparents. They stand out as examples of modern workplaces, dispelling the myths of traditional waste facilities.

For more information visit www.biogroup.co.uk

The Department for Energy and Climate Change UK Renewable Energy Roadmap is available at http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/renewable-energy/2167-uk-renewable-energy-roadmap.pdf

The GGCS is run by the Renewable Energy Association’s subsidiary company, Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd. It is a not-for-profit company that also administers the REAL Assurance Scheme (for more information see www.realassurance.org.uk) and the Biofertiliser Certification Scheme (BCS) (for more information see www.biofertiliser.org.uk).  For more information on REA please visit www.r-e-a.net/

A leading national green energy provider has said that the answer to increasing energy bills for the UK public is further investment in the building of the nation’s renewable energy network.

 Responding to the Secretary of State Chris Huhne’s comments over the week end that consumers should vote with their feet and switch to a different supplier if their power company raises its charges, Bio Group Chief Executive Steve Sharratt said,  “It is vital that consumers get a fair deal but moving from one supplier to another in such a small marketplace is not the whole answer – and it’s not the long term solution.”

 Bio Group who are based in Cambridge, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, through a profitable, diverse network of facilities, turning food waste into renewable energy.

 “Renewable energy provides us with the ability to secure our future energy needs.” he continued. “At present demand for energy is far too reliant on oil and when there are price hikes it hits the consumer hard.”

 “It is therefore more important than ever that we build a British renewable energy network with a greater sense of urgency. Portugal now generates 45% of its energy needs form renewable sources. We simply must do better here.”

 Bio Group has been working with some of the UK’s leading energy providers to launch a scheme to support consumers and give them certainty when they are buying renewable energy.

 The Green Gas Certification Scheme (GGCS) tracks biomethane, or ‘green gas’, through the supply chain to provide certainty for those that buy it and has been established by the Renewable Energy Association working with Bio Group, British Gas  , Eon, National Grid, Milton Keynes Council, Thames Water and CNG Services.

 “In 2009, the National Grid reported that biomethane can provide up to 50% of domestic gas use.” Steve Sharratt continued. “ In moving towards that goal, consumers must get a fair deal and a renewable energy network must insulate them from continued oil and fossil fuel price volatility.”

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notes for editors

 Bio Group exists to make a difference. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, through a profitable, diverse network of facilities, turning organic waste into renewable energy, whilst at the same time creating organic soils for application to land as part of the battle against desertification.

 Bio Groups key technology is the groundbreaking AD biomethane facility, with a negative carbon footprint – more details of our facilities will be published during the summer. Their sites involve and are part of the local community and each new site will have a Visitor and Education Centre, engaging with people, from schoolchildren to grandparents. They stand out as examples of modern workplaces, dispelling the myths of traditional waste facilities.

Green Energy company providing free monitors to new business customers

A leading national green energy provider, Bio Group, who reduce greenhouse gas emissions, through a profitable, diverse network of facilities, turning organic waste into renewable energy have backed a call by senior Member of Parliament, Tim Yeo to improve ways of managing energy efficiency.

In a debate in the House of Commons earlier this week on the Government Energy Bill, the MP for South Suffolk who is also the Chair of the influential Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change said, “I hope that the Government will take a close interest in the roll-out of smart meters. There is a risk that the whole initiative might turn sour if the meters do not get off to a good start.”

Smart meters are an electrical meter that record consumption of electric energy in intervals and communicates that information externally to energy providers. They are heralded as one of the main ways home energy consumption can be monitored and therefore reduced.

As a company Bio Group is leading the way through their work with SME and are providing a free, state of the art smart monitor to new customers. These work similarly to meters but show the business how much energy they are using and can therefore help in their commitment to carbon reduction. Those that enter a contract with Bio Group will now have the opportunity to reduce their electricity bills by up to 20% in the first year by using these monitors.

Chief Executive of Bio Group, Steve Sharratt OBE said, “As a business we are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling climate change head on both in what we do and how we do it. That is why working with businesses we want to empower them to reduce their energy consumption through the use, via ourselves of a smart monitor.”

“We are encouraged that Mr Yeo has raised such an important issue. This can and should make a real difference to small and medium sized businesses. We do indeed need a good start as he has suggested and we hope that we are helping with that” he added.

In the debate on Tuesday, Mr Yeo added, “Helping consumers to understand the costs of energy and how they can better manage their energy consumption could be very valuable.”

Other measures in the Bill, which is hoped will become law in 2011, include making information on energy bills clearer. It also establishes a new obligation on energy companies to help certain groups of consumers, who need extra support, with saving energy.

Earlier this year Bio Group was the founding partners with UK energy providers in setting up the Green Gas Certification Scheme (GGCS). The scheme tracks biomethane, or ‘green gas’, through the supply chain to provide certainty for those that buy it and has been established by the Renewable Energy Association

“The Green Gas Certification Scheme is a simple and reliable way to eliminate double-counting of registered green gas.” Steve added, “This approach to energy provision is one that any new legislation needs to have if we are to have the trust of consumers and to make sure sustainable energy is a key part of the UKs future.”

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For further comment please contact Ashley Riley on 07835 309718 or Steve Sharratt OBE at Bio Group on 0844 6330100

A wireless smart monitor is an electrical device that can transmit information from your electricity meter using wireless technology, to anywhere in your home, showing you how much electricity you are consuming, and more importantly, how much money it is costing every hour.

A smart meter is usually an electrical meter that records consumption of electric energy in intervals of an hour or less and communicates that information at least daily back to the utility for monitoring and billing purposes. Smart meters enable two-way communication between the meter and the central system. Unlike home energy monitors, smart meters can gather data for remote reporting.

Bio Group exists to make a difference. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, through a profitable, diverse network of facilities, turning organic waste into renewable energy, whilst at the same time creating organic soils for application to land as part of the battle against desertification.

Bio Groups key technology is the groundbreaking AD biomethane facility, with a negative carbon footprint – more details of our facilities will be published during the summer. Their sites involve and are part of the local community and each new site will have a Visitor and Education Centre, engaging with people, from schoolchildren to grandparents. They stand out as examples of modern workplaces, dispelling the myths of traditional waste facilities.

For more information visit www.biogroup.co.uk

The GGCS is run by the Renewable Energy Association’s subsidiary company, Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd. It is a not-for-profit company that also administers the REAL Assurance Scheme (for more information see www.realassurance.org.uk) and the Biofertiliser Certification Scheme (BCS) (for more information see www.biofertiliser.org.uk).  For more information on REA please visit www.r-e-a.net/