Gas Networks Ireland, which operates and manages the national gas network, is investing in the infrastructure and connection solutions needed to support this growth.

With much of the required feedstock expected to come from Irish farms, the developing biomethane sector could create new opportunities for additional income, farm diversification and rural economic development. Progress on new projects and infrastructure during 2026 is helping to bring those opportunities closer.

The Government’s National Biomethane Strategy has set a target of producing 5.7 terawatt-hours (TWh) of indigenous biomethane annually by 2030 – an amount equivalent to the energy required to power approximately half a million homes.

Much of the feedstock needed to achieve this ambition is expected to come from Irish farms, creating potential new income streams through the supply of slurry, silage and other agricultural materials.

But increasing biomethane production is only one part of developing the industry. Producers also need a route to market and, crucially, a way of getting renewable gas produced in rural areas into Ireland’s national gas network.

During 2026, a number of developments have demonstrated the progress being made, including new biomethane plants and network connection agreements, as well as infrastructure designed to enable producers located further from the existing gas network to participate.

What is biomethane?

Biomethane is a renewable gas produced through anaerobic digestion (AD).

During the AD process, organic materials such as agricultural feedstocks and agri-food wastes are broken down in an oxygen-free environment to produce biogas. Once this gas is upgraded to the required standard, the resulting biomethane is structurally identical to natural gas.

This means it can be injected into the existing gas network and used with existing gas appliances and technologies. It can also be liquefied for use as a renewable fuel in areas such as road and maritime transport.

There is another potential agricultural benefit from the AD process. Alongside renewable gas, AD produces digestate – a nutrient-rich material which can be used as an alternative to synthetic fertilisers and returned to agricultural land.

Where do farmers fit in?

Many of the biomethane plants planned for the coming years will require a consistent supply of suitable feedstock from farms. However, participation in the sector does not necessarily mean developing and operating an AD plant.

Supplying feedstock to a nearby facility could provide an additional enterprise or income stream for some farms. Other opportunities could emerge through growing energy crops and the sustainable management of agricultural materials, while the use of digestate produced by AD facilities can provide a nutrient-rich alternative to synthetic fertilisers and help improve soil health.

There may also be opportunities for groups of farmers to work collectively with biomethane producers and developers as the industry expands.

This could allow farmers to participate in the sector in different ways, depending on their farm business and location. While some may supply feedstock to a nearby AD facility, others could explore opportunities around energy crops or work collectively with other farmers and developers. The production of digestate also creates the potential to return nutrients to agricultural land, providing another link between renewable energy production and existing farming systems.

For rural communities, the potential impact extends beyond the farmgate. Developing an indigenous biomethane industry requires investment in plants, transport, infrastructure and associated services, creating the potential for additional economic activity and employment in rural areas.

The opportunity is twofold: creating another potential market for Irish farms while increasing the amount of renewable energy produced domestically.

A number of significant developments have taken place during the first half of 2026 as implementation of the National Biomethane Strategy progresses.

Among them is an agreement between Gas Networks Ireland and Stream BioEnergy to connect a new €80m biomethane facility at Little Island, Co Cork, to the national gas network.

It is the seventh biomethane plant contracted for connection to the network in the past three years.

Due to come onstream in 2027, the Little Island facility is expected to process approximately 90,000 tonnes of food and garden waste annually and produce around 80 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of biomethane.

Shortly after this connection agreement, Gas Networks Ireland marked two significant milestones for Ireland’s renewable energy transition with the connection of the country’s first and second biomethane production plants to the national gas network.

In August, Bia Energy’s facility in Huntstown, Co Dublin, became the first plant to inject renewable biomethane directly into the network, with the capacity to supply up to 120GWh annually once fully operational.

Later that month, College Group’s new facility in Nobber, Co Meath, became the second biomethane plant to connect, demonstrating the growing momentum behind Ireland’s indigenous renewable gas sector.

Using food and agri-food by-products to produce renewable biomethane, the Nobber facility also showcases the circular economy in action by supporting both gas network injection and the company’s own operations and bioCNG vehicle fleet.

Together, these projects represent important progress in developing a domestic biomethane industry that can enhance energy security and help decarbonise Ireland’s energy system.

Supporting rural producers

AD plants are likely to be situated close to their sources of feedstock, meaning many will be based in rural areas. However, not every prospective biomethane producer will be located close enough to the existing gas network to justify a direct pipeline connection.

Gas Networks Ireland's €32m central grid injection (CGI) facility currently under construction in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, is designed to address this issue.

Unlike an AD plant, the CGI facility will not receive agricultural feedstock or produce biomethane itself.

Instead, biomethane produced at separate AD plants will be transported to Mitchelstown by trailer before being injected into the national gas network.

This will effectively provide a route o nto the gas grid for independent producers that are located too far away to connect directly by pipeline.

When operating at full capacity, the Mitchelstown facility will have the potential to inject 700GWh of biomethane into the network annually. This would represent approximately 12% of the Government's 5.7TWh target for 2030.

Removing barriers to connection

Changes to how biomethane can move through and connect to the gas network are also progressing.

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has approved an interim solution for reverse grid compression.

The technology enables biomethane entering lower-pressure local gas networks to move into the higher-pressure transmission system.

This is particularly relevant for rural AD plants, where the amount of gas being produced and injected locally could exceed demand on that part of the network at certain times.

Gas Networks Ireland estimates that the measure could unlock an additional 437GWh of biomethane injection capacity – equivalent to approximately 7.5% of the national 2030 target.

The CRU has also published a new policy governing the connection of biomethane producers to the gas network.

Changes include provisions around shared connection costs, revised financial security requirements and formal support for central grid injection facilities, with the aim of making network access possible for a broader range of producers.

Looking towards 2030

Reaching 5.7TWh of annual biomethane production by 2030 remains an ambitious target and will require significant growth from current levels.

It will depend on new AD facilities being developed, suitable feedstock being available, producers gaining access to the gas network and sufficient demand emerging for the renewable gas they produce.

The extent of the opportunity for agriculture will differ from farm to farm. For some, it may mean supplying feedstock to a local plant. For others, it could involve closer partnerships with developers or participation in future biomethane projects.

Gas Networks Ireland believes collaboration between farmers, biomethane producers, industry and Government will be central to building the sector at the scale required.

A successful indigenous biomethane industry has the potential to create new markets for agricultural materials, support economic activity in rural communities, reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, strengthen Ireland’s energy security and contribute to national climate ambitions.

With infrastructure progressing and more projects moving towards connection, 2026 is providing some of the building blocks needed for that industry.

For Irish farmers, the question is increasingly moving from what biomethane is to what role agriculture can play in producing it – and where the opportunities could lie for individual farm businesses.

Gas Networks Ireland will attend the 2026 National Ploughing Championships, where farmers can learn more about biomethane, Ireland's developing renewable gas industry and the infrastructure being put in place to connect producers to the national gas network.

Visit Stand 153, Row 8, Block 4 and discover how Gas Networks Ireland is moving Ireland’s energy.

Gas Networks Ireland’s stand will bring the future of energy to life:

Further information on biomethane and Gas Networks Ireland’s work to develop a net-zero carbon gas network is available on the Gas Networks Ireland website: www.gasnetworks.ie/biomethane.