Ireland National Biomethane Strategy, the ambitious national biomethane strategy that paves the way to a greener future. On 28 May 2024, Ireland took a significant leap towards a sustainable future with the presentation of its first major policy declaration on biomethane.

Announced by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, and Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, the Irish National Biomethane Strategy sets the ambitious target of producing up to 5.7 TWh per year of biomethane nationwide by 2030, with the goal of covering 10% of national gas demand and building between 140 and 200 new anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities. This new target is more than three times the previous biomethane target in Ireland’s 2019 Climate Action Plan of 1.6 TWh by 2030. It underlines Ireland’s legislated commitments under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act (Amendment) of 2021.

The importance of biomethane for Ireland

Biomethane, a renewable energy source produced from organic materials, offers a sustainable way to meet climate goals while offering options to decarbonize agriculture and rural communities. It is also planned to secure and diversify the gas supply.

The National Biomethane Strategy will be agriculture-led and farmer-centred, focusing on the supply of suitable feedstocks, including animal slurry. It will align with the National Biodiversity Action Plan and Nitrates Action Programme, and will contribute to the restoration of Ireland’s biodiversity.

Key pillars of the Ireland National Biomethane Strategy

Ireland’s National Biomethane Strategy outlines the policy and regulatory measures required to develop a large-scale biomethane industry in Ireland and is structured around five key pillars:

1. Sustainability: Ensure environmentally sustainable biomethane production (e.g. develop a process to certify the end use of injected off-grid biomethane; evaluate the development of best practice guidelines on methane leaks during the development of the Sustainability Charter of Biomethane).
2. Biomethane demand: Increase demand for biomethane as an energy source to replace fossil gas use (e.g. working with the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) sector to ensure awareness of biomethane eligibility biomethane in the ETS sector; throughout the life of the scheme, ensure alignment of the strategy target (5.7 TWh) with Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) tariff increases.
3. Bioeconomy and circular economy: Integrate biomethane production into the broader bioeconomy and circular economy (e.g. assess relevant policies and supports needed to ensure the opportunity for bio-based fertilizers from digestate is achieved; review the potential of a pilot program to improve the maturity of AD projects, providing links to key research, innovation funding opportunities, sustainability assessments, integration of technologies alongside AD, such as biorefining and support for cooperative development).
4. Biomethane economy: Evaluate options and implement support mechanisms for viable biomethane production (e.g. open the first competitive call for grant funding to contribute up to 1 TWh; evaluate the potential for an appropriate smaller-scale financing scheme).
5. Enabling policy requirements: Establish necessary policies to remove blockages and promote biomethane production (for example, collaborate with GNI and CRU to review and finalize the biomethane grid connection policy and economic proof, including the need for financial bonds and costs of network connections; develop an online Information Center system to provide assistance for the development of AD projects, including information on the technical, environmental and financial advisory support available).

Each pillar is associated with 25 strategic actions designed to streamline development schedules and improve the economics of biomethane projects. Implementation of the strategy will involve coordinated efforts from several government departments and agencies, overseen by the newly formed Interdepartmental Biomethane Implementation Group, which will report to the Heat and Environment Working Group within the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.

A key component of the strategy is sustainable production, which will initially be supported through the development of a Biomethane Sustainability Charter. This Charter, created with input from political, industrial and social stakeholders, will promote an agriculture-led biomethane industry while safeguarding water, soil, biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Current and future biomethane production in Ireland

Ireland has two operational biomethane facilities that inject biomethane into the gas grid and produce around 75 GWh per year, equivalent to 0.001% of current gas demand. Most of the biomethane produced in Ireland is used in the transport sector under the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation. In addition, 43 facilities produce 580 GWh of biogas used in the combined generation of electricity and heat, but not converted into biomethane. The raw material for these biogas plants includes landfill waste, municipal solid waste, wastewater and animal slurry.

Looking to the future, Ireland’s National Biomethane Strategy marks a milestone in Ireland’s journey towards a sustainable energy future. The Global Biogas Partnership celebrates this milestone in Ireland’s strategy aligned with the development of the circular economy, the sectoral emissions ceiling for agriculture, the decarbonisation of Ireland’s energy mix and the contribution to the RePowerEU biomethane production target of 35 bcm (approximately 342 TWh) by 2030.

Contribution to the biomethane value chain

The contribution of energy engineering company Soluciones Integrales de Combustión to the biomethane value chain is aimed at the final phase of energy use of the fuel, through the design, supply and installation, maintenance and repair of thermal and combustion plants that operate with this fuel, as well as the instrumentation and control systems of the plants.

Sources: World Biogas Association, Irish Times

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