Enabling Net Zero: Preparing the future gas market for change

This journey is already underway and is delivering results. By combining experience and knowledge across decarbonisation programmes, industry processes and market arrangements, Xoserve and Encodar, together with industry partners, are providing practical insight to inform future system decisions and support the UK's Net Zero plans, bridging the gap between policy ambition and practical delivery. 

Building the future gas market together

Preparing for the future gas market is not something any single organisation can achieve alone; it requires the active engagement and collaboration of a wide range of stakeholders.

This collaborative approach is reflected, for example, in the contribution of Xoserve and Encodar to the work of the Gas Advisory Council (GAC), which is a forum for industry experts to help inform NESO’s work on its Gas Future Roadmap Plan. Since the start of 2025, Xoserve and Encodar have been active GAC members, alongside representatives from across the gas sector, including shippers, suppliers, transporters, consumer groups and trade associations.

Xoserve has contributed practical operational insight to several strategic GAC workstreams, including analysis from its ‘Managing Different Gases’ programme which assessed the central system readiness to accommodate the introduction of green gases, including 100% hydrogen and hydrogen blending scenarios as well as the injection of non-propanated biomethane. Such insight is helping to ensure discussions are informed by real market experience as well as future ambition.

Making change happen

Encodar’s expertise in the Uniform Network Code (UNC) governance & modification processes, market rules and stakeholder management, combined with Xoserve’s practical insight into gas market operations, has already supported several UNC changes and reviews that are helping to enable the transition to low-carbon gas.

The changes include derogations to support hydrogen blending demonstrations, special UNC arrangements for SGN’s H100 Fife 100% hydrogen trial and a two-year industry review of the commercial framework for hydrogen blending across transmission and distribution. It has also enabled recent biomethane modifications focused on simplifying processes and reducing barriers to green gas entry.

These initiatives are helping to establish the commercial and governance foundations required for the wider adoption of hydrogen and biomethane across Great Britain's gas network. By testing new arrangements and removing barriers to entry, they are enabling the practical conditions needed for low-carbon gases to grow.

Enabling the next phase of net zero

While significant progress has been made, important decisions still lie ahead. The future role of hydrogen, the continued growth of biomethane, and the evolution of market arrangements will require ongoing collaboration between industry, government and regulators. Developing solutions that are both innovative and practical will be critical to achieving net zero ambitions.

Achieving this transition is not simply about deploying new technologies; it is about creating the governance, commercial frameworks and operational capabilities that are ready to support their widespread deployment as policy looks to decarbonise the grid. Through our combined expertise in market operations, governance and stakeholder engagement, Xoserve and Encodar are helping industry turn ambition into action and build a future gas market that is fit for a net-zero energy system.

Get in touch

If you have any feedback or questions on any of the above, please email us at communications@xoserve.com.

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