31st January 2025
We are pleased to confirm that our investment plans in Ireland are progressing, with the first 2 sites being planned in Limerick and Kildare. Last year, we announced our intention to make a €100m investment in a total of 4 new innovative agri-based biomethane plants in Ireland, which we will equity-finance, build and operate. The remaining 2 sites have been initially identified at sites in Cavan and Galway.
Supporting the North Star of decarbonisation for Gas Networks Ireland
This is a crucial investment to support the decarbonisation of the Irish gas network, as referenced by David Kelly, director of customer and business development at Gas Networks Ireland in an interview today in the Irish Times, the company is focused on replacing natural gas with renewable natural gas such as the biomethane that will be produced at our 4 new plants. “We move energy around the country through approximately 15,000km of pipes and our north star is the decarbonisation of the network. Over time we will transform our business by using biomethane and hydrogen in the network instead of the natural gas we use now”. Reinforcing the need for investments such as these 4 plants, David went on to say “By the mid-2040s we won’t be transporting natural gas any more. At present, 99% of the gas in the network is natural gas. That CH4 gas, methane, typically comes from offshore gas fields and we need to replace that with renewable gases.”. David welcomed CycleØ as a new investor in Ireland.
Supporting the environment and managing agri by-products
Our new plants are expected to generate around 40GWh each of biomethane per annum, enough in total to heat over 12,000 homes for a year in Ireland. The plants will bring sustainable, renewable energy to support decarbonisation and provide a solution to the challenge of waste management while bringing new green jobs to rural communities.
Biomethane is produced from upgraded biogas derived from agri-food and industrial waste produced via anaerobic digestion (AD) and can be used for injection into the gas network or liquefied to produce renewable fuel for road and maritime transport. In addition, the AD process produces digestate, a nutrient-rich and renewable alternative to synthetic fertilisers that helps to improve soil health and reduce the carbon intensity of farms.
Speaking about the progress of our investment, James Manley, Ireland Country Manager for CycleØ said “AD and biomethane is good for farmers and good for the planet, helping to manage the problem of agri by-products and the nitrates they produce. Using AD to generate biomethane, a renewable natural gas, reduces naturally occurring greenhouse gas emissions and generates digestate which beats synthetic alternatives hands down as it improves soil health and protects water courses from nitrate leaching”.
Community engagement is at the heart of our plans
We value community engagement and held a public engagement event in Limerick in December, with similar events planned for each site, starting with an event about the Ballyvass, Co. Kildare site on 19th February at Clanard Court Hotel in Athy, to enable the communities closest to the planned plants to learn more about them and to ask questions. “We’re holding an event for each location, which we’ll advertise in local and farming press, on our Facebook page and on our website. “We are grateful for the engagement we’ve seen to date from the community of the Limerick plant, both at our public event in December and the questions that we’ve received since. There is more information about the plants and our plans available on our website”.
CycleØ is looking to contract with local farmers as feedstock suppliers, offering a solution to slurry storage and management. This is just one way in which these plants will generate long-term additional revenue for farmers and their communities, while making a critical investment to help decarbonise the Irish gas network.
Learn more about our plans and the benefits of biomethane by visiting our Farming page.