Engie has taken a final investment decision to develop a new biomethane facility in the United Kingdom, committing up to £70 million, roughly $95 million, after securing a long-term purchase agreement with PepsiCo UK. The project reflects growing corporate demand for low-carbon gas solutions as companies seek to decarbonise operations and supply chains that cannot easily electrify.

The decision follows the signing of a 10-year biomethane purchase agreement that will see Engie supply renewable gas to PepsiCo UK from 2027 onward. The deal underpins the commercial viability of the new facility and signals confidence in biomethane as a scalable transition fuel within the UK energy system.

Biomethane as a Decarbonisation Lever

Biomethane, also referred to as renewable natural gas, is produced through the anaerobic digestion of organic waste streams including agricultural residues, industrial by-products, and household waste. Because it is chemically identical to fossil natural gas, biomethane can be injected directly into existing gas networks, allowing emissions reductions without the need for new transmission or distribution infrastructure.

This characteristic makes biomethane particularly relevant for sectors where electrification remains challenging, such as heavy industry, freight transport, and parts of the food and manufacturing supply chain. As governments and corporates look for near-term decarbonisation options, biomethane is increasingly viewed as a pragmatic complement to renewable electricity.

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Details of the PepsiCo Supply Agreement

Under the agreement, Engie will provide PepsiCo UK with 60 gigawatt-hours of biomethane per year using a mass balance approach. PepsiCo said the supply will support efforts to cut emissions across its UK supply chain and reduce dependence on fossil-based gas.

The company estimates that the biomethane delivered under the contract will reduce its emissions by more than 10,900 metric tonnes annually. The deal aligns with PepsiCo’s broader sustainability strategy, which prioritises emissions reductions across operations, logistics, and energy use.

Sian Hamson, Sustainability Senior Manager at PepsiCo UK, said that biomethane will play an important role in the company’s decarbonisation pathway, describing it as a low-carbon, domestically produced energy source that fits well within its UK operations.

Expanding Engie’s UK Biomethane Portfolio

The new plant will be located in the north of England and will add to Engie’s existing biomethane footprint in the UK. The company currently injects more than 210 gigawatt-hours of biomethane into the national gas grid each year from four operational anaerobic digestion facilities in southwest England.

These facilities rely on locally sourced agricultural waste and rotational crops and are developed in partnership with farmers. In addition to renewable gas production, they generate digestate as a by-product, which can be used as a soil enhancer, reinforcing circular economy practices within the agricultural sector.

Engie’s UK biomethane operations illustrate how energy transition projects can deliver multiple benefits, including emissions reductions, rural economic support, and improved waste management.

Corporate Demand and Energy Transition Strategy

Miya Paolucci, Chief Executive Officer of Engie UK, said the investment demonstrates the company’s ability to combine long-term customer demand with infrastructure development. She noted that Engie’s experience in structuring power and gas purchase agreements allows it to deliver tailored solutions that support customer decarbonisation goals while advancing the broader energy transition.

Engie has positioned biomethane as a core component of its low-carbon gas strategy, particularly in markets where customers are seeking immediate emissions reductions without waiting for full electrification or hydrogen infrastructure to mature.

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Signals for the UK Gas Market

The project highlights a broader shift in the UK energy landscape, where renewable gases are beginning to move from niche applications toward mainstream corporate procurement. Long-term offtake agreements with large multinationals are emerging as a key mechanism for financing new biomethane capacity.

As companies face increasing pressure to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions, deals such as the Engie–PepsiCo agreement suggest that biomethane could become a more prominent feature of corporate energy strategies. For policymakers, the investment also underscores the role that stable demand signals and existing gas infrastructure can play in accelerating low-carbon alternatives within the current energy system.

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