Image: SGN
British gas distributor SGN and tech company Utonomy have completed a six-month demonstration of the impact of advanced pressure control in reducing methane emissions from the gas grid.
Over the period, SGN and Utonomy project a 16% methane emissions reduction using intelligent pressure control, with the gas distribution governor pressure safely reduced by up to 31%.
The trial, conducted between October 2024 and March 2025 across five SGN regions in southern England, used dynamic pressure management powered by Utonomy’s AI-driven platform, UtonomyOne.
The system optimises the network pressure by automatically adjusting it in response to real-time demand and weather conditions.
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It also anticipates changes, such as sudden cold snaps, avoiding the surge of alarms typically triggered by older pressure management systems during rapid demand shifts.
As a result, the average governor pressures could be reduced by up to 31% – a critical factor in curbing methane losses, which rise with pressure.
Richard Buckley, SGN Head of Network Management (Distribution), said that tackling methane leakage is a key focus for the company.
“By harnessing advanced pressure management and machine learning, we can achieve meaningful reductions today while modernising network operations. This trial demonstrates how intelligent, self-optimising systems can drive a more efficient, lower emission gas network built for the future.”
The trial is part of SGN’s £6 million ($8 million) Intelligent Gas Grid initiative, funded by Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund to explore how digitalisation, AI and green innovation can reshape the gas networks for a decarbonised energy future.
In the next phase of the project, AI and an expanded dataset will be leveraged over a longer period to help gas networks predict anomalies before they occur and accelerate the integration of renewable green gases like biomethane.
Adam Kingdon, founder and CEO of Utonomy, adds delight in working with SGN as well as Cadent, Wales & West Utilities, Northern Gas Networks, National Gas and DNV on this project.
“The UtonomyOne Intelligent Control trial results are exactly what we were aiming for. If the technology was rolled out nationwide, it would have a big impact on Britain’s methane emissions as well as network operating costs.”
