Surge of new AD plant projects in planning system

Despite there being no current policy support for anaerobic digestion (AD), developers are rushing to get projects through the planning system, with multiple new applications lodged this month.

A new agricultural AD plant has been proposed at Annaholty, south Tipperary. Plans for the Annaholty Green Energy project were submitted to Tipperary County Council earlier this month.

Annaholty Green Energy is a sister company of GreenGas AD Plant, Ireland’s first commercial-scale AD plant. GreenGas has been operating since 2010, in Shanagolden, Limerick. The proposed plant will produce biomethane for direct injection into the national gas grid.

It will require around 50,000t of feedstock per year, consisting of 8,000-10,000t of slurry and manure, 1,000-2,100t of poultry litter, 15,000-19,900t of maize silage, and 15,000-18,000t of grass silage. The developer states that the facility will create new income streams for local farmers and produce enough green gas for 3,200 homes.

In Mogeely, Co Cork, R&R Farms has also submitted an application for a large AD plant. At the time of writing, the application was still going through the validation process.

The proposed development consists of two primary and two secondary digestion tanks, along with four digestate storage tanks. It will also include two weighbridges and a 1.6ac feedstock storage clamp building. The biogas produced on-site will be upgraded and injected directly into the national gas grid via a dedicated connection, while the digestate will be pelletised, and nutrients recovered on-site.

Gas grid operator, Kinecx Energy has signed its first biomethane connection agreement with Derry AD plant, Greenan Generation Ltd.

The agreement will enable biomethane produced by Greenan’s AD facility in Eglinton to be directly injected into Kinecx Energy’s gas network in the northwest.

Planning permission is now being sought for the proposed expansion and reconfiguration of an existing operational 500kW AD plant at the Carmoney Road site. Once operational, the facility is expected to displace around 8% of the natural gas currently used in the northwest region of the network, with biomethane gas.