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Electricity Generation: Landfill

Asked by Andrew BowieConservativeDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 19399

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has his department made of the potential merits of injecting landfill gas biomethane directly into the grid rather than burning it for electricity on site, in the context of the situation in the Gulf.

Answered by Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Biomethane grid injection would not be suitable for most landfill sites due to the infrastructure required to treat the gas to make it suitable for injection or use as fuel, and to cover the distance from many sites to the gas grid. Most sites are too small to justify the capital investment needed to install this new infrastructure, as gas flows would decline before return on investment. In contrast, the electricity generation infrastructure already exists across these landfill sites.

Although no final decisions have been made, we intend to consult on proposals for transitional support for landfill gas generation shortly, and would welcome responses from those in the biomethane sector.

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