Multi-million euro green project
Multi-million euro plans to develop a 40 GWh anaerobic digester (AD) in Cootehill, designed to produce biomethane for injection into the national gas grid, could be formally lodged before the end of the year.
CycleØ intends to soon begin an extensive community-engagement programme with local residents, community groups and businesses on the proposal, which forms part of a wider €100M investment to construct four biogas plants across Ireland. Local momentum follows a favourable feasibility study commissioned by the Cootehill Area Development Group, with CycleØ retaining ownership and operational responsibility.
Biogas is produced by capturing naturally occurring emissions from organic agri-waste via anaerobic digestion (AD), which are cleaned or “upgraded” to remove impurities and create biomethane. Biomethane is a renewable natural gas that is chemically identical to natural gas and can be directly injected into the gas grid to help decarbonise the gas network.
Classed as medium-sized, the Cootehill plant will process agricultural waste - primarily slurry, manure and a limited quantity of energy crops. The plant will not accept food or brown-bin waste and, once operational, it is expected to generate approximately 40 GWh of biomethane annually - enough to meet the gas needs of about 13,000 Irish homes.
To supply the digester, CycleØ says it will offer long-term contracts to local farmers for manure, slurry and other agri-waste. Each plant in the company’s Irish portfolio will require up to 90,000 tonnes of feedstock per year to deliver the projected biomethane output.
Regarding timelines, CycleØ anticipates submitting the Cootehill planning application before year-end. The planning process could take up to 36 months, followed by a 12- to 18-month construction phase.
The Climate Action Plan 2030 and the 2024 Biomethane Strategy set a target of producing 5.7 TWh of indigenous biomethane annually.
To achieve this target, around 140 medium-sized biogas plants of this size will need to be built.
In a statement to the Celt, CycleØ said it will host a virtual town-hall meeting featuring a live Q&A session with its project team and a panel of independent experts. Topics will include odour management, safety systems and the potential economic and environmental benefits of anaerobic digestion.
Details of the event will first appear on cycle0.com/farmers
It will also be promoted through social media channels with recordings of the meetings to be made available to registered participants via CycleØ’s YouTube channel.