Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Methane from Landfill Sites

Tuesday 24 March 2026 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Methane harvested from UK landfill sites generates around 2.5 TWh of electricity annually, contributing about 1% to the country's electricity supply.
  • Many landfill sites receiving subsidies through the renewables obligation will lose this support by April 2027.
  • The decline in methane emissions from aging landfill sites is a factor in reducing their potential for energy generation.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Sarah Hall Labour (Co-op) Warrington South
Energy Environment
Context

The potential impact of trends in methane harvested from landfill sites on energy security is being assessed, with a focus on the subsidy through the renewables obligation expiring in 2027.

Question

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of trends in the level of methane harvested from landfill sites on energy security. Methane harvested from landfill sites enables the generation of around 2.5 TWh a year, which is around 1% of the UK's electricity. Many of those assets receive a subsidy through the renewables obligation, which expires in 2027.

Answer from Michael Shanks

Methane harvested from landfill sites enables the generation of around 2.5 TWh a year, which is around 1% of the UK's electricity. Many of those assets receive a subsidy through the renewables obligation, which expires in 2027. That generation has a supportive, but limited, effect on energy security. Given the high impact of methane, my Department and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are considering long-term solutions to landfill gas methane capture and appropriate transitional arrangements.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific impact assessment not provided

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Sarah Hall Labour (Co-op) Warrington South
Energy Environment
Context

The concern is that without action before April 2027, the decline in methane from landfills will undermine energy security and increase costs for consumers.

Question

At a time when families are already under pressure from high energy bills, what assessment has the Minister made of the risk that, without action before April 2027, declining landfill gas generation will undermine energy security and increase costs for consumers?

Answer from Michael Shanks

I reiterate that although methane harvested from such sites and used to generate electricity plays a role in electricity generation, it is less than 1% overall, so it is not an issue for our energy security. As the sites age, the amount of methane they emit reduces, and that reduction has been factored into our plans. We are looking at what transitional arrangements are needed to deal with both the methane issue and the electricity that is generated from it, and we will consult in due course.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Risk assessment not provided

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Northern Ireland Environment
Context

The Minister visits Northern Ireland regularly to discuss the advantages of harvesting methane from landfill sites.

Question

I thank the Minister, as always, for his answers. It is important that we all get the advantages of the level of methane harvested from landfill sites. In Northern Ireland we also have landfill sites, with a lot of rubbish and therefore a lot of methane possibilities. I know that the Minister visits Northern Ireland regularly, so what discussions has he had with the relevant Minister there to ensure that we can get the advantages that he mentioned in his reply to the hon. Member for Warrington South (Sarah Hall)?

Answer from Michael Shanks

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his kind comments. My visits to Northern Ireland are important to me, and at the very first meeting of the reconstituted inter-ministerial working group we had a conversation on that exact question: how can we support the reduction of methane across the UK, and how can we support that through the electricity system? Clearly, that is a transferred matter in Northern Ireland, but I continue to have those conversations with colleagues in the Executive.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details on discussions not provided

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email