Wales & West Utilities (W&WU) hosted industry representatives at Wyke Farms in Somerset on Friday 28 February 2025, where the cheesemaker produces biomethane that feeds into the gas network1. The network's chief operating officer, Rob Long, was joined by representatives from Future Energy Networks, the National Farmers' Union and the Food and Drink Federation1. The visit was published by W&WU on 3 March 20251.
Wyke Farms, described as the UK's largest independent cheesemaker, is entirely self-sufficient in green energy using biomethane produced in its cheese-making, and the gas also supplies 6,000 homes and businesses in the local Somerset community1. The company says the gas supports its work towards the world's first carbon neutral Cheddar1. W&WU said biomethane saved 1.2 million tonnes of carbon across the country in the last year, the equivalent of taking 923,000 cars off the road, but that only 2.5% of farm waste is currently used to produce the green gas1.
The figures given for existing capacity vary by the area described:
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Homes in Somerset that existing biomethane could heat | 20,5001 |
| Homes across the gas networks that existing biomethane could heat | 950,0001 |
| Annual demand met by W&WU and 20 other producers in Wales and the South West | around 160,000 average homes1 |
| Biomethane sites connected to the gas grid, with capacity to heat one million homes | 1281 |
Rob Long said the network is urging government to set out more detail on how it will use the gas in the transition to net zero1.
"We're proud to bring Wyke Farms green gas into our network as we work to decarbonise the homes and businesses that rely on natural gas, alongside 20 other producers in Wales and the South West, together providing capacity to meet the annual demand of around 160,000 average homes."
Richard Clothier, managing director of Wyke Farms, said only 2.5% of organic farm waste goes into biogas to generate power and gas, and that the spent material from biogas also makes a usable organic fertiliser, lowering emissions1. James Earl, chief executive of Future Energy Networks, said there are currently 128 biomethane sites connected to the gas grid with capacity to heat one million homes1. Local MP Sarah Dyke, whose constituency covers Glastonbury and Somerton, expressed support for the farm's biogas operation1.
Why it matters for households
Biomethane is produced from biodegradable waste such as manure and the organic by-products of cheesemaking, and it enters the same gas network that supplies conventional gas, so homes connected to the grid can receive it without changing boilers or appliances1. That distinguishes it from heat decarbonisation routes that require work inside the home. The figures cited put existing biomethane capacity at 950,000 homes across the gas networks, against 128 connected sites1, which indicates how much of the total is in use rather than how much could be produced. For a household, the practical questions are how much of the gas in the network is renewable at any time, and whether the farm and food waste that feeds it is treated as a national supply question or a local one. The 2.5% figure for farm waste used in this way suggests the constraint is feedstock collection and plant investment rather than demand1. Households that cannot connect to the gas grid, or that have already moved to electric heating, are not addressed in the announcement1.
What happens next
W&WU said it is urging government to set out more detail on how biomethane will be used in the transition to net zero1. No timetable, consultation date or policy decision has been reported1.
Sources1 cited
- Cheese Farm and Net Zero | Wales & West Utilities, wwutilities.co.uk