Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of biomethane to assist hydrogen transport; what plans they have to utilise biomethane gas from farms and cities to fuel (1) trains, (2) trams, and (3) buses, until the cost of green hydrogen can be reduced to a competitive level; what estimate they have made of the impact of any such plans on the level of (a) the income experienced by farmers, and (b) soil quality and nutrition; and what assessment they have made of the use of biomethane as an energy source for cities.

Hydrogen is already powering vehicles in use on UK roads, including buses. We will set out its important role across all forms of transport, including trams and trains, in our ambitious Transport Decarbonisation Plan, due to be published this spring. The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation helps promote a market for a broad range of low carbon fuels, and renewable hydrogen and biomethane are already eligible for support through it for transport. We have made no specific assessment of the use of biomethane as a bridge to future hydrogen transport applications or on the impacts of that on farmers, soil quality or nutrition. The BEIS-led Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS), will open to applicants in Autumn 2021 for four years and will provide tariff support for biomethane injection into the gas grid as a potential energy source for cities.