Christmas Newsletter 2021
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Foreword by David Butler COP26 and decarbonisation SGN reveals plans for green hydrogen heating network Final piece of the jigsaw to bring gas to Enniskillen Revisiting tree-planting one year on Raising money for charity The importance of CO alarms
SGN Natural Gas Christmas Newsletter 2021
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Welcome to the December issue of the SGN Natural Gas Newsletter. I would like to welcome you all to our final issue of the SGN Natural Gas Newsletter for 2021, and what an unprecedented year it has proven to be for the entire energy sector. This year, SGN Natural Gas has focused heavily on leveraging the existing gas infrastructure in Northern Ireland to develop a clear pathway towards a decarbonised, hydrogen-ready future for the province. I believe Northern Ireland has the potential to become a global leader in highlighting the opportunities that natural gas infrastructure presents in terms of decarbonising a region, and we look forward to playing our part. We will continue to work closely with our partners in the industry who are involved with innovative pilot projects which pioneer the use of greener gases as a means of heating businesses and homes. Our parent company SGN was recently given the go-ahead by Ofgem to utilise hydrogen as a sustainable heating source in the UK. Work began earlier this year on delivering a 100% hydrogen demonstration network in Levenmouth, Fife, that will bring carbon-free heating and cooking to around 300 homes in 2023. The success of the Fife pilot project will help inform the pathway to utilising our own pipeline, one of the world’s newest natural gas networks. For the past few years, we have been involved in exciting biodiversity initiatives and twelve months on, we revisit the trees that we planted in our network area to help revitalise dying woodland. The work we’ve carried out in this and other projects including Plan Bee and the Bug Motels initiative have already yielded fantastic results, and during the COVID-19 pandemic they have helped us stay connected with the local communities we live and work in. In August this year, we were delighted to support the Family Wellness Project at Fermanagh House by presenting a cheque for £500 to Mindwise. This was a thank you to local school children who took up a recent invitation to submit drawings of their favourite superheroes, with the children’s artwork used to help make the river crossing works area at the Lakeland Forum extra special. Finally, we successfully completed the aforementioned river crossing works in Enniskillen, in what is one of the single largest pieces of infrastructure development ever to take place in the island town. I would like to say a word of thanks to all those who have helped support us in the successful delivery of all our projects this past year. The local communities, business partners, and stakeholders have all once again played a vital role in helping to deliver on our strategic priorities. On behalf of everyone at SGN Natural Gas, I wish you all a very safe and happy Christmas and New Year.
David Butler Director, SGN Natural Gas
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SGN Natural Gas Christmas Newsletter 2021
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COP26 and our role in decarbonisation With more than two hundred world leaders and thousands of delegates attending the recent COP26 summit in Glasgow, all eyes are now firmly focused on decarbonisation and the role we can all play to reduce carbon emissions. It was agreed at the conference that countries will commit themselves to accelerating decarbonisation plans in order to combat climate change. Decisions and pledges were also made with regards to deforestation and tackling global methane emissions. A co-ordinated approach amongst governments, industry experts and, most importantly, consumers is needed to ensure a fair and just transition which has inclusiveness at the forefront of strategy development. Achieving our objectives will involve a wide range of solutions for both on and off-grid homes and businesses, there is no one perfect solution. Northern Ireland’s natural gas users have collectively prevented a cumulative total of over 11 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere since the first connection in 1996. The development of the SGN Natural Gas network ensures that consumers in the west of Northern Ireland now have access to a fuel source which realises an immediate carbon saving from older oil or coal systems whilst new technology development evolves at pace. Importantly, we are working with our industry partners on the integration of biomethane to the network expected in 2022. This is a huge milestone which highlights the key role natural gas infrastructure will play, particularly in Northern Ireland where biomethane is much higher than other parts of the world. Leveraging these considerations and becoming a world leader in new energy is a very real opportunity for the region and one that excites us as an innovative utility infrastructure company. We look forward to playing our role in this critical process.
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SGN Natural Gas Christmas Newsletter 2021
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SGN reveals plans for green hydrogen heating network SGN, the parent company of SGN Natural Gas, has been given the go-ahead by Ofgem to pioneer hydrogen as a sustainable heating source in the UK, an important indicator of its potential role in decarbonising Northern Ireland. Work has now begun on delivering a 100% hydrogen demonstration network in Levenmouth, Fife, that will bring carbon-free heating and cooking to around 300 homes from the end of 2022. The success of the Fife project will help inform the pathway to utilising the ‘Gas to the West’ pipeline, one of the world’s newest natural gas networks, to also transport hydrogen in future. How will this work? An electrolysis plant powered by a nearby offshore wind turbine will generate the clean gas locally which will then be securely stored on the shorefront. The hydrogen will run parallel to the existing natural gas network in keeping with the long-term aspirations of the project. An internal switching device will also be installed in homes, enabling households to make a hassle-free and straightforward transition from natural gas to hydrogen. It is believed that hydrogen will be in demand as a sustainable energy source not just in the rest of the UK, but throughout the world. SGN’s Director of Energy Futures, Angus McIntosh, said that he was ‘delighted’ that stakeholders recognised the critical importance of H100 Fife.
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H100 Fife is the UK’s priority project in this area and is designed to demonstrate hydrogen distribution and in-home performance in a real-world setting. It’s an exciting opportunity to revolutionise the way millions of people heat their homes. The hydrogen appliances will connect to the existing pipes in the home for zero carbon heating and cooking with minimal disruption and with no need to replace existing radiators or plumbing.
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SGN Natural Gas aims to be at the forefront of similar plans, working in close partnership with SGN and a collaborative, whole system approach with the other NI gas operators. The Scottish and UK Governments are seeking to meet legally binding net zero targets by 2045 and 2050 respectively. David Butler, Director of SGN Natural Gas, congratulated SGN on its pioneering plan to make hydrogen “the backbone” of the UK’s future gas network. A green hydrogen heating network could also be a game changer in how to build a carbon-free economy. He continued: “As we enter an exciting chapter in Northern Ireland’s energy future, it is evident that some of the solutions currently being explored could potentially cost billions, particularly in relation to the energy efficiency required for alternative solutions. The natural gas infrastructure is a potential success story for Northern Ireland with our ability to pivot to transport carbon-free fuels. Making the switch from natural gas to hydrogen, which doesn’t produce carbon when it burns, is one of the ways that we can keep homes and businesses warm and safe while making progress in the fight against the climate emergency.” Mr Butler concluded: “It is important to note that almost 50% of homes in Northern Ireland will be ‘off-grid’ so utilising the natural gas infrastructure for those who are already connectable is a proactive way to ensure those homes with fewer solutions available are prioritised to help us deliver on our net zero objectives, whilst keeping potential capital costs down.”
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SGN Natural Gas Christmas Newsletter 2021
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Final piece of the jigsaw to bring gas to Enniskillen In one of the largest single pieces of infrastructure development ever to take place in the island town of Enniskillen, the work to install a natural gas pipeline across Lough Erne at the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum is now complete, with the work on the major river crossing recently finalised by SGN Natural Gas. Limited access to mains gas is already available in the area, but the major challenge was to get the gas from one side of Lough Erne to the other, to facilitate the continued expansion of the distribution network, and to this end, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council gave the go-ahead earlier this year for the river crossing to take the live natural gas infrastructure to the town centre and surrounding areas. To get the pipeline to the Sligo Road, three crossing points were critical: the Lakeland Forum site, Derrychara playing fields, and the privately owned Castle Gate (formerly Lochside) Marina on Old Rossorry Road. David Butler, Director of SGN Natural Gas, thanked all three stakeholders for their positive engagement in facilitating the major river crossing. “It’s important to acknowledge that without the co-operation of FODC, the Education Authority and the owners of Castle Gate Marina, this project would simply not have been possible.” Investment in the new energy infrastructure will enable local households to avail of natural gas for their home heating requirements and will also help to significantly reduce carbon emissions in the council district and wider network in the western area. The drilling phases of the river crossings were completed recently, and once the remaining elements of this project have been completed, natural gas will be available to customers in the town centre and west side of Enniskillen. Speaking on behalf of the owners of Castle Gate Marina, Geoff Cameron said they welcomed the opportunity to help facilitate the installation of the new energy infrastructure which would ultimately benefit the local community.
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Mr Cameron explained that NI Water had already carried out separate works on the site. “We’re kind of used to having contractors on site!” he joked. “When we purchased the Marina in 2019, the main sewage system from the west of the town which flows through the property was severely fractured, and NI Water has been carrying out a major replacement programme over the last two years, and they were very easy to work with. And of course, SGN Natural Gas has just finished their drilling programme to bring the new gas infrastructure across the river at the Marina, and they have also been a pleasure to work with. We were delighted to assist them in enabling the rest of the town to avail of a natural gas connection well ahead of schedule.” Mr. Cameron also expressed his thanks to the berth holders at the Marina for their patience while the work was carried out in the busy boating season, with the timing in August/early September vitally important to correspond with fish migration in the Erne. He added that the owners were looking forward to the environmental element of the reinstatement work in progress, which will include new tree planting to encourage flora and fauna to thrive. It was also revealed that plans are afoot for a beekeeping project on the marina site. Mr Butler, from SGN Natural Gas added: “The SGN Natural Gas network is one of the clear pathways to an affordable, decarbonised future that can deliver significant environmental benefits for everyone as we all ultimately move to a target net zero carbon environment by 2050. As Northern Ireland’s newest natural gas operator, the network is also uniquely positioned to lead on the future delivery of hydrogen as a means of heating homes and powering businesses with a more positive impact on the environment.” Over 2,100 customers were connected to the network as of September 2021, and conversions are steadily rising to meet ongoing consumer demand with plans to connect up to 40,000 customers in eight key towns by 2056.
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SGN Natural Gas Christmas Newsletter 2021
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Tree-planting one year on… As part of its biodiversity plans, SGN Natural Gas has been involved in the planting of almost 4,000 native Irish oak, hazel, and birch trees in its network area in Co. Fermanagh. The project carried out last year was overseen by IndiWoods, the woodland consultancy which has planted over one million trees in Northern Ireland over the past 16 years. Recently, SGN Natural Gas Director David Butler, Head of Business Development Darren Young, and IndiWoods founder Carolyn Trimble, revisited the woodland one year on to discuss the importance of biodiversity projects such as these to the local environment. We took the opportunity to showcase the revisit to Fermanagh on camera, and the resulting video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=dyk2aA7G3KY&t=01s The trees were planted last year in an existing 12-yearold plantation which has recently suffered from a disease known as ‘ash dieback,’ which has been responsible for the killing of many thousands of ash trees. To help make the woodland more resilient for the future, SGN Natural Gas has helped provide a valuable habitat for local wildlife, such as endangered red squirrels. IndiWoods founder Carolyn Trimble said that she expects the trees planted to do ‘very well in the beautiful, fertile soil.’ She added:
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The woodland has had a few problems since it was planted over ten years ago, especially with ash dieback. So, in pockets where the ash has died back, we’ve actually planted an understory of native trees such as hazel and birch.
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David Butler said that the tree-planting is one of three flagship biodiversity projects that also include the community beekeeping initiative ‘Plan Bee’, and the bug motel project, which saw SGN Natural Gas gift over 70 bug motels to local schools in the network area. As well as the various biodiversity projects that SGN Natural Gas is involved with, the company also believes that the network itself will ultimately play a vital role in decarbonisation, helping to remove millions of tonnes of CO2 from the west of Northern Ireland where oil and solid fuel use is prevalent. With a vision for a carbon net zero environment by 2050, our innovative network is designed to ensure there is now a clear pathway to a fully decarbonised, hydrogen-ready future for Northern Ireland that can deliver significant environmental benefits for the planet.
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SGN Natural Gas Christmas Newsletter 2021
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SGN Natural Gas supporting local charity in our Network area Earlier this year, SGN Natural Gas presented a cheque for £500 for MindWise to support the Family Wellness Project’s services based at Fermanagh House as a thank you to local school children who took up a recent invitation to submit drawings of their favourite superheroes. The children’s artwork was used to make the river crossing works area at the Lakeland Forum extra special. Some of the participating children were also in attendance with their teachers and parents to see their vibrant community artwork on display. The Family Wellness Project by MindWise is an early intervention project for children aged 5-12, who are experiencing emotional health & wellbeing difficulties, and their families. Other services available from the Family Wellness Project include School-Based Programmes; Adult Wellbeing Programmes; Parent/Carer Support Groups and the Equine Assisted Learning & Family Wellness Project Website. More information on the Family Wellness Project can be found at: http://www.parentingni.org/family-wellness-project/
Included in the photo are Council Chair, Councillor Errol Thompson; David Butler, Director SGN Natural Gas; Jemma Dolan, MLA; Carmel Rooney from MindWise; and holding the cheque from left, Caoimhe Elliot, Holy Trinity PS; Lorcan McElroy, Holy Trinity PS; and Amelia-Rose Blair, Enniskillen Model PS.
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SGN Natural Gas Christmas Newsletter 2021
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The importance of CO alarms In November, an incident occurred that serves as a timely reminder of the importance of CO alarms, particularly as we move into the festive period. On a Monday evening at 23:20hrs, the Northern Ireland Gas Emergency call centre received a phone call from a tenant of an NIHE property in Enniskillen. The call handler was advised by the tenant that the CO alarm in their home was continuously flashing red and bleeping loudly. Our First Call Operative (FCO) was subsequently alerted at 23:23hrs and arrived at the property within 24 minutes of being informed. A CO reading of 37ppm (points per million) was recorded upstairs, while 152ppm was recorded in the sitting room. These levels of CO are high enough to cause a fatality, so the presence of a CO alarm in this instance potentially saved a life. The FCO asked the tenant to evacuate the property before proceeding to ventilate the site. The CO levels were then checked at 20-minute intervals, and the tenant was not allowed to return to the property until all precautionary measures had been taken and it was deemed safe. Our website has lots of advice, but the most important thing is to ensure that your CO detectors are functioning, by simply pressing the button to test the batteries.
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SGN Natural Gas Christmas Newsletter 2021
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