The European Union’s RENURE proposal – which would see the classification of treated slurry changed from organic to chemical – is not expected to be of any great advantage to Irish farmers in the context of the nitrates derogation.

This is according to the Department of Agriculture’s Bill Callanan, who warned that Ireland’s lack of slurry processing facilities, which would require significant investment, poses an issue for its rollout.

The comments have drawn concern and frustration from the bioenergy sector, as the Department of Agriculture is a co-author of the National Biomethane Strategy, which aims to build up to 200 large-scale slurry processing facilities in the form of anaerobic digestion (AD) plants by 2030.

ADVERTISEMENT

No fix for derogation

Seán Finan, CEO of the Irish Bioenergy Association, said: “The RENURE proposal needs to be decoupled from the current discussion and engagements around the extension of the nitrates derogation in Ireland as they are separate issues.

“The derogation extension is immediate whereas RENURE is more of a medium- to longer-term opportunity,” Finan said.

Ireland will not be using the three RENURE technology options at farm level, as was pointed out by the official at the committee, Finan explained.

“The technology options require significant investment and will fit at the back end of large-scale production biomethane facilities producing bio-fertiliser,” he said.

Setback

PJ McCarthy, Renewable Gas Forum Ireland (RGFI) CEO, said: “Failure to recognise and support RENURE would be a setback, not just for farmers and the AD sector, but for Ireland’s ability to deliver on climate, renewable energy and circular economy goals.”

McCarthy said that properly processed digestate offers an immediate and safe opportunity to replace chemical fertilisers, reduce emissions and support more sustainable agriculture.

“Across other EU member states, RENURE is welcomed as a progressive signal to the agri-sector in the shift toward sustainable food production and competitiveness,” McCarthy said.

“Under Ag Climatise, the target is to displace 325,000 tonnes of chemical fertilisers per year from 2026 onwards. To achieve this, alternatives are needed, and bio-fertilisers from the AD sector are essential,” he said. Both organisations agreed that while the current RENURE framework is a starting point, further refinement would be needed.