Britain searches for sustainable heat sources, and farmers are discovering a resource hiding in plain sight: cow manure.
Cow waste can produce biomethane, a renewable gas already powering central heating in about a million homes. Campaign group Green Gas Taskforce says the potential could rise to 15 million homes. One Somerset dairy farmer calls cow manure “nature’s crude oil,” highlighting its power to generate energy. But how does cow waste turn into gas, and could it really heat millions of homes?
Turning Cow Muck into Gas
Somerset dairy farmer Richard Clothier works with manure daily. In his Bruton cattle shed, workers scrape floors by hand, a task usually handled by robots. Clothier explains, “This is highly calorific waste for generating gas. Nature made it perfect for us.”
The Clothier family has farmed cattle for two centuries. In 2013, they built a £4m plant to extract methane from cow waste. The manure flows into massive tanks and then an anaerobic digester, where bacteria break down organic material.
Clothier says, “Methanogenic bacteria gobble solids and produce methane, which we capture in hoods above.” The gas undergoes cleaning and regulation before entering the national grid. Some energy runs Wyke Farms’ cheesemaking dairy directly.
“We make 100% of our energy,” Clothier says. “It helps both the planet and our business.” He estimates the farm’s cows generate enough gas to heat 10,000 homes annually.
How Much Manure Becomes Gas?
Britain’s cows produce roughly 90 million tonnes of slurry annually. Only 2.5% feeds anaerobic digesters. High installation costs limit uptake, even though the energy can reduce bills and supply surplus to the grid. Campaigners now push for more gas production.
In Nether Stowey, a village hall hosted a birthday celebration for a local gas plant. Children enjoyed a cake shaped like the facility’s two domed tanks. This plant processes human food waste collected by local councils. Bacteria break it down, producing biogas.
Wales and West Utilities manages the national gas grid in Somerset and encourages more biomethane production. The West Country already hosts 20 biogas plants, but the company seeks further growth. Matt Hindle, head of Net Zero, says biomethane could complement hydrogen and electrification, creating a decarbonized heating system.
How Much Biogas Could We Make?
Campaigners believe production could increase tenfold. More food waste collection and digesters near dairy farms could heat 10-15 million homes by 2050, according to Charles McAllister, director of the Green Gas Taskforce.
McAllister highlights economic benefits for rural communities, including jobs and local investment. However, natural limits exist—there is only so much cow manure available. Green activists caution that biogas may not always live up to its environmental promises.
Green Gas or Greenwash?
Using cow manure for gas reduces methane emissions, which would otherwise worsen climate change. Biogas also comes from fuel crops, raising concerns about land use. Environmentalists worry fossil fuels will continue to dominate pipelines, limiting carbon savings.
Think tank Regen estimates biomethane could replace 18% of UK gas consumption at best. Analyst Tamsyn Lonsdale-Smith calls even that an optimistic scenario, urging further efforts to decarbonize heating and transport.
Back in his cattle sheds, Clothier remains confident. Harnessing cow waste generates methane efficiently, reduces energy imports, and offers farmers a clear renewable solution. He says, “So much farm waste could enter plants and save energy that the UK otherwise has to import.”
