The Government must move beyond ambition and deliver certainty to establish a meaningful agri-led biomethane and biogas sector in Ireland.

That's according to Maurice Brady, Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) energy from farms project team chair.

Following Biomethane Day Ireland in Dublin last week, Brady said there is broad agreement on the potential of biomethane and biogas to reduce emissions, strengthen energy security and provide a new income stream for farm families. He added, however, that farmers have been waiting too long for meaningful progress.

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"Farmers are ready to invest, but they need certainty that proposed projects can progress and that they will be commercially viable," Brady said.

Lack of clear timelines and support

He acknowledged the commitment to progress the Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) and open a capital grant scheme later this year, but he said those measures alone would not provide the confidence needed to fully unlock investment.

He added that the lack of clear timelines or additional supports is concerning, saying these are urgently needed if farmer-scale biomethane and biogas production is to become a reality.

"Ireland has set ambitious biomethane and biogas targets, but unless projects are bankable, they will not be achieved," he said. "Government must now provide the long-term certainty needed for farmers, developers and lenders to invest with confidence."

What the IFA is seeking

  • That the proposed biomethane capital grant programme of €190/€200m under the Irish Nature and Climate fund includes a 50% capital grant for farm scale biogas plants, in line with the IFA energy from farms policy paper.
  • Similar to the earlier DAFM biomethane capital grant scheme, the new capital grant scheme must provide funding for farm-scale biogas plant, which use the biogas produced on the farm to produce heat and power through a combined heat and power plant. This will assist farmers to produce their own heat and electricity from slurries and farm by-products for use on their farms and reduce energy costs.
  • That the Government moves with urgency to roll out of the capital grant programme and legislative process for the RHO, which is important to mobilise the biogas and biomethane sector in Ireland.
  • Recognise farmers, through policy and supports, for their potential to produce renewable energy on their farms to complement existing food production activities.

    • He warned that while other European countries have backed biomethane and biogas with strong, long-term support, Ireland’s inaction puts the country at risk of falling even further behind.

    "We have been talking about biomethane for more than a decade," he said. "Ireland has the farmers, the feedstock, the grid and the expertise to build a successful indigenous sector.

    "The opportunity is there. Government must now match its ambition with decisive action."