Minister of Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has acknowledged that a combination of operational and capital support was needed to kickstart the anaerobic digestion (AD) sector in Ireland.

The minister made the comments at the recent Renewable Gas Forum of Ireland Irish Biomethane Conference where he said he is confident that an AD industry of scale which is agriculture-focused and farmer-centric will develop.

So far, he has committed funds from the carbon tax and the National Development Plan towards the development of the AD industry. However, before providing this capital support, he said the Government needs to devise and define the strategic direction of biomethane in Ireland.

The minister said his Department and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communication will co-lead the creation of a national biomethane development strategy through the new heat and built environment delivery taskforce.

Targets

However, the Government has already set a target for biomethane development of 5.7 terrawatt-hours (TWh), requiring over 200 AD plants to be developed by 2030. Currently the Renewable Heat Obligation scheme, which is due to commence in 2024, is the only policy in place to assist in achieving this.

Despite this however, the Minister firmly believes that AD will provide diversification opportunities for farmers into energy production while helping to reduce emissions on farm.

Uncertainty

There was significant focus in the conference on the funding channels which are emerging for the sector. Many funders are now looking to invest in AD projects, attendees heard.