On 12 August, Bia Energy’s €90 million, 120 GWh renewable biomethane gas facility in Huntstown, Co. Dublin, was connected to Gas Networks Ireland’s gas grid, followed just a few weeks later by College Group’s €30 million biomethane facility in Nobber, Co. Meath.
Gas Networks Ireland’s Chief Executive Officer, David Kelly said: “Biomethane will help strengthen Ireland’s energy security by providing an indigenous source of renewable gas, while also supporting the decarbonisation of sectors where gas continues to play an important role. Gas Networks Ireland is committed to facilitating the development of the infrastructure needed to enable Ireland’s biomethane sector to grow.”
Then, on Tuesday 1 September, Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon officially opened the country’s first on-farm integrated grass biorefinery and anaerobic digestion (AD) demonstration plant.
The €3 million facility, which will process fresh grass to produce high-protein animal feed, a grass fibre fraction that can be used for applications in packaging and livestock feed, bioenergy, and biofertiliser, is part of the Farm Zero C project at Shinagh Estate’s demonstration farm in Co. Cork.
Minister Heydon emphasised that the plant forms part of Ireland’s wider biogas ambitions, saying: “Today is another significant milestone for the Irish bioeconomy with the opening of [this] €3 million integrated grass biorefining and anaerobic digestion demonstration plant.”
The HRS Digestate Pasteurisation System (DPS) is capable of pasteurising digestate, feedstocks, and similar materials pre-or post-digestion
Climate Action plan
The Irish Government’s latest Climate Action Plan sets out a target of reaching 5.7 TWh of biomethane by 2030 – 10% of the country’s total gas demand, and these plants are the first of many currently in development.
Matt Hale
Matt Hale, Global Business Development Director at HRS Heat Exchangers, commented: “We are seeing more and more enquiries from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland as both countries ramp up their anaerobic digestion capacity.
“Ireland’s biomethane strategy details several actions designed to incentivise more investment in the biomethane industry, which the government acknowledges is still in its early stages compared to several other EU countries. Having a clear roadmap is giving investors confidence, and as a result developers are looking to maximise the efficiency of their plants – and therefore maximise energy production, greenhouse gas savings, and the use of biofertiliser from digestate.”
The Irish Government has said that in order to meet its ambition of 5.7 TWh of biogas energy per year by 2030, the country needs between 150 and 200 AD plants over the next four years.
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