{"id":4159,"date":"2026-01-12T14:05:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T14:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/?p=4159"},"modified":"2026-02-16T05:28:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T05:28:12","slug":"from-coal-to-natural-gas-birminghams-energy-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/eternal-4159-from-coal-to-natural-gas-birminghams-energy-history","title":{"rendered":"From coal to natural gas \u2014 Birmingham&#8217;s energy history"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There were no large natural gas deposits in or around Birmingham itself, and therefore no commercial extraction of natural gas, as the case, for example, on platforms in the North Sea or in some parts of the British Shield Basin. The British Geological Survey does not list Birmingham as the location of such deposits or developments directly in the city or its surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, despite this, Birmingham has a rich gas history dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries, with the only caveat being that gas was not extracted from the earth here. It was produced for urban use, for example, from coal in gasworks. You can read about how this happened, where this gas was used, and how it affected the city&#8217;s industry and industrial development at <a href=\"http:\/\/birminghamname.com\">birminghamname.com<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0f4623ed51f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0f4623ed51f\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/eternal-4159-from-coal-to-natural-gas-birminghams-energy-history\/#The_emergence_of_city_gas\" >The emergence of city gas<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/eternal-4159-from-coal-to-natural-gas-birminghams-energy-history\/#Large_gas_plants\" >Large gas plants<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/eternal-4159-from-coal-to-natural-gas-birminghams-energy-history\/#Industrial_and_environmental_heritage\" >Industrial and environmental heritage<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/eternal-4159-from-coal-to-natural-gas-birminghams-energy-history\/#Green_gas\" >Green gas<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_emergence_of_city_gas\"><\/span>The emergence of city gas<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1055\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-16.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-16.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-16-300x198.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-16-768x506.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-16-1536x1013.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-16-696x459.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-16-1068x704.jpeg 1068w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When people in the United Kingdom talk about gas today, they almost instinctively think of offshore platforms in the North Sea and vast networks of modern pipelines. However, long before the era of natural gas, Birmingham, which is known for becoming the industrial centre of England, was one of the largest gas producers. This story began in the early 19th century and had a significant impact on the city, its economy and <a href=\"https:\/\/montreal-name.com\/fr\/eternel-4044-le-barrage-qui-a-change-le-paysage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">landscape<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But first things first. So, the gas used in Birmingham in the 19th century was not of natural origin \u2014 it was not extracted from underground deposits. It was so-called <a href=\"https:\/\/montreal-name.com\/fr\/eternel-4546-lhistoire-du-chauffage-a-montreal-comment-la-ville-a-appris-a-lutter-contre-le-froid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">town gas<\/a>, which was produced from coal. The production process itself was quite simple in essence, but required specific infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, coal was heated in sealed furnaces without access to oxygen. This process, called dry distillation, produced a mixture of combustible gases \u2014 mainly hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. This mixture was then cooled, purified and stored in huge gas holders before being distributed throughout the city via a network of pipelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incidentally, the first attempts to light Birmingham with gas date back to the 1810s. Ten years later, in the 1820s, gasworks appeared to meet the demand for gas in streets, workshops, and homes. It provided powerful, reliable and economical lighting compared to oil lamps or candles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Large_gas_plants\"><\/span>Large gas plants<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"969\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-17.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4163\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-17.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-17-300x182.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-17-768x465.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-17-1536x930.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-17-696x422.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-17-1068x647.jpeg 1068w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is how the history of large gasworks began. During the 19th century, several industrial facilities specializing exclusively in gas production appeared in Birmingham. One of the most famous was Windsor Street Gasworks. Although it was certainly not the only one, similar enterprises were built near canals and later railways to facilitate the transportation of raw materials, namely coal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These plants were real cities within the city. They provided jobs for hundreds of workers. After all, stokers, engineers, chemists, maintenance workers, as well as related wagon and barge drivers worked here. Thus, the gas industry became a full-fledged industry, closely linked to the coal mines of the Midlands and the local transport network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is therefore not surprising that gas became the driving force behind the industrial revolution and greatly contributed to Birmingham&#8217;s economic development. The city, already known for its metallurgy, engineering, and production of various industrial goods, gained a more stable and flexible energy supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In workshops and factories, gas fuelled burners, heated furnaces, powered engines and lighting, allowing for longer working hours and increased productivity. Similarly, gas street lighting changed city life: shops stayed open longer, nighttime travel became safer, and economic activity increased accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gradually, coal gas became part of everyday life. It was used for cooking, heating, and lighting. Birmingham thus became one of the British cities where modern energy technologies had the deepest impact on everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Industrial_and_environmental_heritage\"><\/span>Industrial and environmental heritage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1180\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-18.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-18.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-18-300x221.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-18-768x566.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-18-1536x1133.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-18-696x513.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-18-1068x788.jpeg 1068w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, despite the fact that this gas had become so popular and necessary, it came at a price. And it wasn&#8217;t about money. The fact is that gas plants produced many toxic by-products, such as tar, ammonia, sulphides, and other chemical waste, which seeped into the soil and water bodies. The areas around gas plants suffered from <a href=\"https:\/\/montreal-name.com\/fr\/eternel-4318-la-proprete-de-lenvironnement-commence-par-un-tri-correct-des-dechets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pollution<\/a>, unpleasant odours and were epicentres of constant health risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even today, many sites where gas plants were previously located are classified as contaminated and require costly clean-up measures before they can be reused in urban environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is therefore not surprising that as early as the 1950s, and especially from the 1960s onwards, the production of artificial gas experienced a crisis. This was also facilitated by the fact that natural gas deposits were discovered in the North Sea and large-scale exploitation began. This also radically changed the energy economy of Great Britain. Natural gas was cleaner, richer in energy and much easier to distribute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A large-scale national conversion programme was launched. Networks, domestic appliances and industrial installations were adapted to supply the new gas. In Birmingham, as in the rest of the country, the old coal-fired power stations became completely unprofitable. In the 1960s and 1970s, they began to be gradually closed down. This was the beginning of the end of local gas production, which had lasted for more than half a century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gas meters were dismantled, furnaces were shut down, and large industrial areas were vacated for new urban use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Green_gas\"><\/span>Green gas<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1043\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-19.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-19.jpeg 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-19-300x196.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-19-768x501.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-19-1536x1001.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-19-696x454.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/cdn.birminghamname.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2026\/01\/image-19-1068x696.jpeg 1068w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But that&#8217;s not the end of the story of gas production in Birmingham. This is evidenced by an event that took place here in 2021. We are talking about Green Gas Day: in the autumn, Birmingham hosted the largest gathering of representatives of the gas network industry in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are talking about biomethane, which is purified biogas with a high concentration of methane \u2014 over 90\u201397% \u2014 and is virtually identical in its properties and chemical composition to fossil natural gas, but is a renewable energy source. There are currently 143 biomethane injection points in the UK, with another 36 projects in development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this context, it should be noted that Birmingham is a centre for the production of this green gas, which is constantly developing and growing. The Birmingham biomethane cluster includes local production from waste at Severn Trent&#8217;s aerobic technology plants. This is the plant in West Birmingham near Stourbridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is therefore no coincidence that the city hosts such important events as the World Biogas Exhibition, which highlights its commitment to green energy and circular economy solutions for heating, transport and industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we can see, although Birmingham has never been an area with natural gas deposits, it has been one of the historical capitals of its industrial production. The history of gas in Birmingham is not so much a history of a geological resource as a history of industrial ingenuity. It illustrates how energy, technology and urban development have evolved together, leaving their mark on the landscape and identity of the Midland metropolis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/obr.uk\/box\/a-history-of-natural-gas-in-the-uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/obr.uk\/box\/a-history-of-natural-gas-in-the-uk\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lse.ac.uk\/granthaminstitute\/explainers\/what-potential-reserves-of-shale-gas-are-there-in-the-uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.lse.ac.uk\/granthaminstitute\/explainers\/what-potential-reserves-of-shale-gas-are-there-in-the-uk\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammuseums.org.uk\/stories\/birminghams-landmark-gasholders-celebrated-at-thinktank-science-museum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.birminghammuseums.org.uk\/stories\/birminghams-landmark-gasholders-celebrated-at-thinktank-science-museum<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.birmingham.ac.uk\/research\/centres-institutes\/birmingham-energy-institute\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.birmingham.ac.uk\/research\/centres-institutes\/birmingham-energy-institute<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bioenergy-news.com\/news\/uk-green-gas-day-2021-to-be-held-in-birmingham\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.bioenergy-news.com\/news\/uk-green-gas-day-2021-to-be-held-in-birmingham\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There were no large natural gas deposits in or around Birmingham itself, and therefore no commercial extraction of natural gas, as the case, for example, on platforms in the North Sea or in some parts of the British Shield Basin. The British Geological Survey does not list Birmingham as the location of such deposits or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":319,"featured_media":4144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[2592,2588,2599,2591,2597,2595,2590,2594,2600,2596,2598,2126,2589,2601,2593],"motype":[325],"moformat":[18],"moimportance":[30,33],"class_list":{"0":"post-4159","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-developments","8":"tag-birmingham-economy","9":"tag-birmingham-gas-industry","10":"tag-british-energy-sector","11":"tag-coal-gas","12":"tag-gas-lighting","13":"tag-gasometers","14":"tag-gasworks","15":"tag-history-of-birmingham","16":"tag-industrial-ecology","17":"tag-industrial-heritage","18":"tag-industrial-midlands","19":"tag-industrial-revolution","20":"tag-town-gas","21":"tag-transition-to-natural-gas","22":"tag-windsor-street-gasworks-2","23":"motype-eternal","24":"moformat-vlasna","25":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","26":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/319"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4159"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4385,"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4159\/revisions\/4385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4159"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=4159"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=4159"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/birminghamname.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=4159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}