Back biomethane to cut UK import dependence and support rural economies, says Chris Huhne

Nils Pratley is right to highlight the continuing role of gas in the UK energy system and the risks of growing dependence on imported liquefied natural gas (The UK needs more North Sea gas, not greater reliance on US imports, 14 April). As he notes, gas will remain essential for heating and power system resilience for years to come, and relying on volatile global markets leaves the UK exposed to price shocks and disruption. But the choice is not limited to more North Sea drilling or more imports. There is a third, often-overlooked option that supports farmers and rural communities while using our waste to make secure homegrown energy. Produced from organic wastes and injected into the existing gas grid, biomethane is fully domestic, low carbon, storable and dispatchable when needed. Unlike LNG, it does not depend on global shipping routes or international politics. Unlike new fossil extraction, it helps meet the UK's climate commitments while strengthening energy, food and economic security. The UK should be prioritising sources of gas that are both homegrown and renewable. The International Energy Agency has consistently highlighted the role of green gases in a net zero system, pointing out in its 2025 Renewables report that biomethane will be the fastest-growing renewable if we are to meet net zero. Within the EU, Denmark is now meeting 40% of all gas demand from green gas, while France has been growing biomethane by more than 20% a year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. If energy security is truly the goal, the answer is not simply to produce more fossil gas, but to replace it and blend it with green alternatives wherever possible. Backing biomethane would reduce import dependence, cut emissions and support rural economies, all while using infrastructure we already have. The UK does not lack options. It is lacking the political will to scale them.