Wales & West Utilities invests in UtonomyOne for biomethane smart pressure control

Wales & West Utilities (WWU), the gas distributor network operator bringing energy to 7.4M people in the South-West of England and Wales, has invested in UtonomyOne as part of a programme of smart pressure control trials. If successful, the trial would allow more than 10,000 homes to be heated with biomethane, significantly reducing CO2 emissions in the area.

WWU currently has 21 biomethane sites connected to its network, producing enough biomethane to power the equivalent of 151,000 homes. However, it realised that some of the plants currently struggle to inject biomethane into the grid at times of low demand.

This normally happens because, when demand is low, the grid may not have enough capacity to accommodate the additional biomethane, leading to pressure imbalances. Additionally, if the plant lacks sufficient storage, it may not be able to store the excess biomethane being produced, and may be forced to curtail production or flare the biogas.

UtonomyOne is an innovative smart pressure control solution that maximises biomethane injection by automatically adjusting pressures in the gas network.

Why pressure control?

Biomethane, a renewable natural gas produced from organic matter, is expected to play a significant role in decarbonising the gas network and bringing us closer to net zero. However, one of the biggest constraints on biomethane being used at scale is having enough grid injection capacity. Utonomy’s smart pressure control has been developed to solve this problem.

Biomethane needs to have its pressure adjusted to match the grid’s operating pressure before being injected into the existing natural gas grid. This ensures that biomethane mixes properly with natural gas. Maintaining proper pressure is also important to ensure safe operations and prevent leaks, equipment failure or even explosions. 

Correct pressure levels also minimise energy losses during transport, making the process of distributing biomethane more efficient. Proper pressure control facilitates the increased use of biomethane in the grid, helping achieve a more sustainable gas distribution system. 

In the past, pressure control was done manually. This was a reactive process and was not efficient nor convenient. It required constant monitoring and adjustments, did not ensure a quick response in case of sudden pressure fluctuations and exposed the whole system to the possibility of human errors.

With the increased scale and complexity of biomethane projects, a smart pressure control system like UtonomyOne provides increased safety, efficiency and sustainability benefits.

Maximising biomethane’s potential

UtonomyOne allows operators to monitor the network, optimise pressures and diagnose issues rapidly, all via a cloud-based platform. 

UtonomyOne is retrofitted to the governors across the network, enabling them to be controlled remotely. Remote governor stations can then be quickly and easily connected to a cloud-hosted software and data platform via cellular networks. This allows the software to adjust the gas pressure in line with demand, keeping the pressure as low as possible, but ensuring it never drops below the minimum. 

Thanks to the automated smart pressure control provided by UtonomyOne, the biomethane injection is always prioritised and the natural gas injection is used as back up. This ensures the output of the biomethane plant is optimised, thereby maximising income for biomethane generators as well as increasing the environmental benefits of the renewable gas.

Thanks to smart pressure control and injection management, UtonomyOne will help WWU reduce methane emissions, cut operational costs, and increase biomethane injection.

WWU and Utonomy: a partnership based on a shared vision

“The gas networks across Britain have connected over 100 production sites which provide low-carbon energy to customers, and we want to focus our efforts on maximising the capacity of these sites, as well as increasing connections for the future,” explained Matt Hindle, Head of Net Zero & Sustainability at WWU. “Installation of smart pressure controls to these networks already supporting entry could result in an additional 11 million scm/year of green gas, equivalent to 10,000 homes being heated.”

“We are thrilled to be helping WWU optimise pressure management with an innovative smart solution,” added Adam Kingdon, Utonomy’s CEO. “Utonomy and WWU hold a shared vision for the future of the gas sector – one where biomethane plays a central role in decarbonising heating and therefore bring us closer to a net zero energy system.”

For more information on UtonomyOne’s pressure control system, click here or get in touch with our team.