Annual update 2024
Foreword
Welcome to our 2024 year in review, a comprehensive look at the achievements, milestones and collaborative efforts that have defined our year.
2024 has been a pivotal year for the gas industry, marked by progress and growing recognition of the critical role our infrastructure plays in enabling a decarbonised future amongst key stakeholders.
A cornerstone of our efforts this year has been our collaboration with industry partners to drive innovation and sustainability. Notably, we collectively launched a ‘Request for Information’ to support biomethane production in Northern Ireland. The insights gathered formed a robust foundation for the industry to respond with confidence to the Department for the Economy’s call for evidence on biomethane’s role in the region.
Building on our achievement as the first network operator on the island of Ireland to successfully inject biomethane directly into the grid in late 2023, we are eager to share our experiences to inspire and guide others on their journey towards decarbonisation.
Our Evolve network continues to grow, surpassing over 4,500 customers, an extraordinary milestone in just four years, particularly given the challenges of the macroeconomic environment. This achievement highlights our resilience and dedication to delivering value to our customers.
Community engagement has remained central to our mission. Early in the year, we launched the ‘Build a Billboard’ campaign, aimed at sparking conversations among younger audiences about how our network will contribute to heating homes and businesses sustainably in a low-carbon future.
On the operational front, our extensive build-out reached a significant milestone, 30,000 homes within our network area are now eligible to switch to gas. I am incredibly proud of our team’s diligence in minimising disruption and completing roadworks efficiently as we connect more customers to the grid.
Perhaps the most significant highlight of the year was the publication of our whitepaper, ‘Accelerating a Biomethane Economy’. This document serves as both an introduction and a roadmap for integrating biomethane into Northern Ireland’s energy landscape. It explores strategies for accelerating momentum, subsidy considerations, and best practice benchmarks that could shape our approach.
Using the whitepaper as the foundation for discussions, we engaged with key stakeholders including industrial customers, government departments, Renewable NI, the NI Chamber of Commerce, local councils and elected representatives. The overwhelming interest in the document is a testament to the importance of this work.
As we close out the year, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported and partnered with us. Your commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in driving progress, and I look forward to continuing this journey together in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
Butler
David Butler Director, Evolve
Launch of NISEP and the Warm at Home Cashback scheme
Funding from the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP) proved to be invaluable in helping lots of homes across our network make the switch to gas so far this year. The NISEP grant is available to help convert low-income households to gas central heating, including insulation and energy efficiency
measures. Our Warm at Home Cashback scheme offers eligible households 50% off the cost of a gas heating system.
You can find out more about NISEP and our Warm at Home Cashback scheme here.
Launch of the Carbon Reduction Grant
February 2024 saw the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Grant in partnership with Action Renewables, which allows customers in the Evolve network area who are not eligible for fully funded conversions or other grant-aided funding to receive up to £500 cashback when they switch from oil to gas.
Read more here.
We are delighted to be partnering with Evolve on the new Carbon Reduction Grant, which offers customers a helping hand to switch to a more environmentally-friendly energy source.
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Terry Waugh Chief Executive of Action Renewables
David
Balmoral show
Evolve attended this year’s Balmoral Show with our Gas Networks NI colleagues, and the event proved to be a resounding success. It was great to meet many of our customers and hear their glowing reviews about switching to gas.
As always, it was a pleasure to chat with our political representatives, including deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly MLA, Gavin Robinson MP and Michelle Gildernew MP, as well as the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA, and it was great to showcase to them how biomethane can play a vital role in Northern Ireland’s ‘Pathway to Net Zero’ strategy.
Request for Information
Our Director, David Butler, joined DAERA Minister, Andrew Muir, and Economy Minister, Conor Murphy, in March to launch a Request for Information to help support the production of carbon neutral fuel in Northern Ireland.
We welcome that both Ministers are extremely supportive of unlocking the biomethane economy here and ultimately accelerating our journey toward decarbonisation.
‘Build a billboard’ art competition
In May this year, schools across Cookstown, Dungannon, Strabane, Enniskillen, Omagh and Magherafelt took part in a competition to design a billboard to promote the benefits of using gas to heat homes and to encourage them to respond imaginatively to some of the key issues surrounding sustainable fuel sources. After over 300 entries and 1,000 votes cast, six lucky winners were selected from across the Evolve network.
Read more here.
Summer Wave
fun
days
Throughout the summer, the eagerly anticipated Evolve Summer Wave fun days were held within our network area, with many local families coming along to enjoy the free festivities, which included face painting, BBQ, ice cream, garden games and children’s entertainment. Our biodiversity zone also showcased efforts in the fight against climate change, including tree planting, beekeeping courses, and the installation of bug motels.
Launch of the ‘Accelerating a biomethane economy’ whitepaper
The direct injection of biomethane into the Evolve grid last year marked a pivotal moment – a first of-its-kind initiative for any distribution network on the island of Ireland, that symbolises our collective commitment to a greener, more sustainable future. However, it is essential to recognise that while this innovation is a significant step, it is not a ‘silver bullet’ solution that can single-handedly decarbonise the entirety of Northern Ireland’s energy sector, nor will we claim as much. Instead, it stands as an outstanding example of what can be achieved through collaboration, inspiring us to adopt a holistic and diverse strategy for transitioning to sustainable energy sources.
The global energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by mounting concerns over climate change, dwindling fossil fuel reserves, and the imperative need to achieve sustainable development goals. In this context, Northern Ireland is leading the way towards achieving a more environmentally responsible and sustainable future.
With this in mind, this summer we published our whitepaper, entitled ‘Accelerating a biomethane economy’, to explicitly lay out what exactly biomethane is, how it is produced, explain the environmental and economic benefits, highlight case studies, discuss market potential and demand, and to roadmap how we continue with biomethane integration until Northern Ireland is completely decarbonised.
Through this whitepaper we are able to demonstrate that the injection of biomethane into the gas grid will be an integral element when considering how we will work towards a more sustainable future for Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Executive must prioritise the acceleration of biomethane if it is to meet legal decarbonisation targets for 2030 and 2050.
You can view a digital version of the whitepaper here.
What do our customers have to say?
Popular Fermanagh restaurant continues to ‘Evolve’
having to call someone to refill them, and we had these two large tanks sitting outside. By installing gas directly, everything became much simpler.”
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The team was fantastic. They worked diligently, and everything was done and dusted in no time. There was one group working outside at a meter, they were so well organised I didn’t even notice that they had been and gone!
Caroline, Strabane
Oonagh McCann goes under the spotlight
We marked International Women in Engineering Day this year by focusing on our fantastic Team Manager, Oonagh McCann. Oonagh discussed her role within Evolve, including how she got to where she is today. She also chatted about her observations as a woman working in engineering, as well as her top tips for the future females in STEM. You can read Oonagh’s article here.
Danielle, Enniskillen “ “
Established in 1986 by the parents of current owner Ruairi Sweeney, Franco’s has evolved from a small pizzeria into a 170-seater restaurant with European and Mediterranean cuisine, known for its authentic Neapolitan pizza and a menu rich in fresh seafood.
We find we’re not going through an awful lot, so it’s not really costing us as much. You get a fill of oil, it’s costing you four, five, six hundred pounds in one go. Whereas with gas I just use the wee topup card. You can top up from as little as £5 so it’s a lot more manageable.
Having grown tired of the space-consuming LPG (liquid petroleum gas) tanks, Ruairi recently made the decision to transition to Evolve and is now encouraging fellow commercial premises in the area to follow suit.
He said: “The issue with LPG is that you need to have tanks, and those tanks have to be placed a certain distance away from your premises. Additionally, LPG can be more expensive than gas.”
“Switching to the gas network meant we no longer had to rely on big bulky tanks, which could run out unexpectedly. It was a hassle
“You have to make some adjustments to your catering equipment when they go on to gas, but it’s tidied things up well – it’s cleaner and a much better set-up overall. I would encourage everybody to do it, because there’s a lot of businesses around me that haven’t subscribed to it yet.”
Read more here.
Stakeholder engagement
Over the last few months, Evolve’s Director, David Butler, and Evolve’s Head of Business Development, Darren Young, held several meetings with key stakeholders across Northern Ireland to discuss our ‘Accelerating a biomethane economy’ whitepaper. These engagements aimed to highlight the importance of injecting biomethane into the gas grid and explore pathways to support Northern Ireland’s decarbonisation goals. These meetings and initiatives reflect Evolve’s commitment to encouraging collaboration among government bodies, businesses, and the community to accelerate the transition to a green energy economy.
If you would like to receive an update on progress towards decarbonising our network please get in touch at info@grayscommunications.com.
Caroline McDaid Danielle Corrothers
Gas Safety Week 2024
For Gas Safety Week 2024, Evolve’s Safety, Health and Environment Manager, Dominic Scullion, provided workshops in Erne Integrated College, Enniskillen and Holy Trinity College, Cookstown, to raise awareness about gas safety. These workshops, designed to educate students about the Evolve gas network, included information on how it operates and the importance of gas safety. They covered a range of essential topics, including the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances, the potential risks of carbon monoxide (CO), and what to do if you smell gas.
This year’s theme was ‘Checking—Every Check Counts’, emphasising the importance of regular gas safety checks.
‘Enabling a Greener Energy Future’ policy paper launch
In October, David Butler, Director of Evolve, attended an event at Stormont marking the launch of the ‘Enabling a Greener Energy Future’ policy document alongside Northern Ireland’s other gas network operators. This document, launched by the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA, highlights the crucial role biomethane can play in the region’s gas network. It can help us on our pathway to net zero while driving environmental and economic sustainability for a greener future. Find out more and read the report here.
Biomethane –Northern Ireland’s Potential
Request for Information Results | Autumn 2024
Purpose
To prepare for increased biomethane injection to Northern Ireland’s gas network, the NI Gas Network Operators issued a Request for Information in March 2024. Its purpose was to identify potential biomethane projects that are interested in connecting to the gas network. This information provides the Gas Network Operators alongside policy and regulatory decisionmakers with insights that will allow for strategic network planning and assist effective policymaking, as we decarbonise the gas network to support Northern Ireland’s transition to net zero.
84 Projects Submissions received
3.6 TWh per year Potential production
27 GWh per year Median plant size
Enough to heat 290,000 homes or 90% of industrial & commercial gas demand
Saving around 525,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year1
The responses were assessed to estimate each project’s stage of development and planning undertaken. The most advanced projects equate to production values of
1.6 TWh per year by 2030.
This supports the Gas Network Operators commitment to achieve biomethane injection of 1.5 TWh per year by 2030.
Advantages of biomethane in Northern Ireland
Results show that biomethane is ready to be deployed at scale.
A carbon neutral solution that can help Northern Ireland meet its 2030 emission reductions and 2050 net zero targets.
Local businesses can easily use biomethane to decarbonise and meet market pressures to remain competitive.
Biomethane production can contribute to addressing Northern Ireland’s surplus nutrient issue affecting local waterways.
Provides a sustainable and local energy supply – enhancing security of supply.
Provides green growth opportunities across Northern Ireland.
Contributes to sustainable circular economies.
Christmas
message
From all at Evolve, we would like to wish you an enjoyable festive season and a happy new year. We look forward to continuing our work with you in 2025.