Britain has approved another source of North Sea gas. But an industry capable of producing renewable gas at home says its support scheme is already fully committed. Extending the deadline will only achieve so much if there is no additional funding to unlock stalled projects.
A longer deadline does not build an anaerobic digestion plant. It does not secure finance, install upgrading equipment or connect a biomethane project to the gas grid.
That is the problem behind the apparently encouraging extension to the Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS). More time can help projects move forward. But if the funding available to support them is already spoken for, the government risks offering the appearance of progress while leaving the central obstacle untouched.
Key Takeaways
- More time does not automatically mean more funding. The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) commissioning deadline has been extended to 31 March 2030, but ADBA says the scheme’s budget is already fully committed.
- The application deadline remains unchanged. New stage 1 applications must still be submitted by 31 March 2028.
- Later commissioning can mean fewer years of support. Tariff payments must end by 31 March 2043, so a plant commissioned at the final March 2030 deadline would receive 13 years of support rather than 15.
- Jackdaw presents an opportunity to fund renewable gas. ADBA wants North Sea tax revenues, including through the newly announced Energy Wealth Fund, used to increase the GGSS budget.
- Biomethane’s potential depends on delivery. ADBA projects that British biomethane could exceed Jackdaw’s peak annual output by the early 2030s, provided the industry receives the right support.
- The test is whether additional projects can proceed. Without funding that unlocks stalled developments, the extension risks creating the appearance of action without delivering additional renewable gas production.
Today’s approval of the Jackdaw gas field brings that question into sharp focus.
The government says Jackdaw could begin supplying gas as early as the end of this month. Alongside the decision, it has announced an Energy Wealth Fund, starting with £2 billion, to invest North Sea oil and gas revenues in renewable and low-carbon energy. Read the government announcement.
For the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA), the connection is obvious: use a share of those revenues to increase the GGSS budget and get more British renewable gas projects moving.
What has actually been extended?
The latest GGSS changes came into force on 16 October. They give eligible applicants until 31 March 2030, rather than 31 March 2028, to commission their plants and complete their stage 3 registration application.
However, the deadline for new stage 1 applications remains 31 March 2028. Nor does later commissioning bring a later end to tariff support: payments must finish by 31 March 2043, meaning a plant commissioned at the final deadline would receive 13 years of support rather than 15. Read the government scheme guidance.
The extra time has practical value for developers facing delays. It should not, however, be confused with an announcement that more projects can obtain funding.
The government has also extended its published budget tables through to 2034/35. But a longer schedule of annual budget caps does not, by itself, establish that there is uncommitted capacity available for additional projects. See the published GGSS budget information.
ADBA’s statement today is blunt: the scheme is fully committed, leaving projects stalled.
If that constraint remains, presenting the extension as a major boost to new biomethane deployment risks becoming a smoke screen: a visible policy announcement without the additional financial backing needed to deliver the promised growth.
Turn North Sea revenues into a renewable gas legacy
ADBA’s response to Jackdaw is pragmatic. It welcomes domestic gas production while asking ministers to invest in a supply that can continue beyond the life of an individual field.
The association estimates that, with the right support, British biomethane could exceed Jackdaw’s peak annual output by the early 2030s. Its longer-term ambition is more than 100 TWh a year by 2050.
These are industry projections, dependent on investment and successful deployment, rather than guaranteed production. Their significance is the opportunity they describe: using revenues from a finite resource to help develop a renewable one.
Any funding commitment would also need a clear delivery mechanism. The GGSS is currently financed through the Green Gas Levy on licensed fossil fuel gas suppliers; announcing a separate investment fund does not automatically increase the support available through the scheme. Find out how the GGSS is funded.
Ministers should now explain how much additional support they will make available, when developers can access it, and what new deployment it is intended to unlock.
Until then, the industry has more time on the clock—but, according to ADBA, no spare room in the funding pot.
ADBA’s press release follows, with its wording reproduced verbatim. Email formatting, images and tracking links have been omitted.
ADBA press release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Wednesday 21 October
ADBA welcomes Jackdaw decision as good first step to gas security
21 October 2026 – London – The Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) welcomes today’s approval of the Jackdaw gas field as a “good first step” to recognising the importance of home-produced gas instead of importing carbon heavy and expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG).
ADBA is calling on government to use the tax revenues from North Sea production, including the new Energy Wealth Fund announced today, to deliver an urgent uplift to the Green Gas Support Scheme budget. The scheme is fully committed, leaving projects stalled at the very moment the country needs more home-grown gas.
It is also important to note that North Sea fields are finite. Jackdaw is expected to produce up to 25 TWh of gas a year at its peak over a lifespan of up to 11 years. Comparatively, biomethane is a renewable gas that can be scaled up rather than run down. With the right support, British biomethane could exceed Jackdaw’s peak output by the early 2030s, and by 2050 produce over 100 TWh a year, around four times Jackdaw at its peak, meeting between 20% and 50% of UK gas demand while cutting carbon and methane emissions from farming and waste.
Chris Huhne, Chair of ADBA and former UK energy secretary, said:
“Today’s decision is sensible: home grown gas beats imported LNG on security, on cost and on carbon. The government now has the means to go further. Reinvesting a share of North Sea revenues in the Green Gas Support Scheme would let our industry rapidly increase domestic supply of renewable gas, year after year, long after Jackdaw has run dry. That is energy security and net zero working together, not against each other.”
– ENDS –
For further information, contact:
Cameron Ball, External Affairs Lead, ADBA
e: cameron.ball@adbioresources.org; tel: +44 7964 663710
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Green Gas Support Scheme?
The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) provides tariff payments for eligible biomethane produced through anaerobic digestion and injected into the gas grid. It applies in England, Scotland and Wales and is funded through the Green Gas Levy on licensed fossil fuel gas suppliers. Read more about how the Scheme might apply in Scotland.
What has changed under the GGSS extension?
The commissioning deadline for eligible applicants has moved from 31 March 2028 to 31 March 2030. This provides additional time to commission plants, begin injecting biomethane and complete the stage 3 registration application. The deadline for new stage 1 applications remains 31 March 2028.
Does the GGSS extension guarantee 15 years of tariff payments?
No. Although the maximum tariff lifetime is 15 years, payments must end by 31 March 2043. A plant commissioned on 31 March 2030 would therefore receive 13 years of support.
Why is ADBA calling for more GGSS funding?
ADBA says the scheme is fully committed and that projects are stalled as a result. Its argument is that extending the commissioning window cannot, on its own, provide the financial support needed for additional projects to proceed.
How does the Jackdaw gas field decision relate to biomethane?
ADBA welcomes Jackdaw as a source of domestic gas and wants a share of North Sea tax revenues reinvested in renewable gas production. It argues that this could help build a lasting biomethane industry beyond the producing life of individual North Sea fields.
Will the Energy Wealth Fund automatically increase the GGSS budget?
No automatic increase was identified in the announcements covered by this article. The government announced an initial £2 billion for the Energy Wealth Fund, but ADBA’s request for an urgent uplift to the GGSS budget is a call for further action, rather than confirmation of an allocation.
Could UK biomethane production exceed Jackdaw’s output?
According to ADBA, British biomethane could exceed Jackdaw’s estimated peak output of up to 25 TWh a year by the early 2030s, with the right support. This is an industry projection dependent on investment and deployment, rather than a guaranteed outcome.
Is the GGSS extension simply a smoke screen?
The extension has practical value for eligible projects that need more time to reach commissioning. The criticism in this article is that, without additional funding to address the constraint reported by ADBA, ministers risk presenting an administrative extension as a larger boost to renewable gas production than it can deliver.
