Gas Networks Ireland and Bia Energy have agreed a deal which will see renewable biomethane gas from the Bia Energy facility at Huntstown in Co Dublin be injected directly into the gas network.
With an initial investment of €63m, Bia Energy will create up to 30 local jobs at the plant, with plans for further expansion.
Renewable biomethane gas is fully compatible with the existing national gas network and all existing appliances, technologies and vehicles that currently use gas. It can replace natural gas to reduce emissions in heating, industry, transport and power generation.
Structurally identical to natural gas, biomethane is a carbon neutral renewable gas that can be made from farm and food waste through a process known as anaerobic digestion.
Bia Energy is part of the Sretaw group, which was founded by Irish businessman Eamon Waters.
The Huntstown site was bought by Sretaw last year and is being reconfigured to enable it to process a wide range of organic material, such as, food waste, food processing residues and dairy and agricultural wastes.
The anaerobic digestion process will also create a by-product known as biofertiliser that can be used to replace conventional chemical fertilisers, with significant positive environmental impacts.
By capturing the gas produced during the controlled decomposition - or anaerobic digestion - of these materials, the facility will initially use the gas to generate up to 4.8 megawatts of renewable electricity.
The plant is being reconfigured to upgrade the gas to biomethane, in line with the Government's target of having 5.7 terrawatt hours (TWh) of biomethane production by 2030.
Gas Networks Ireland’s Director of Customer and Business Development, David Kelly, said that replacing natural gas with biomethane in the short term is a crucial first step in the decarbonisation of the gas network.
"Biomethane can play an important role in meeting the State’s 2030 emissions reduction target and having increased volumes of biomethane on the national gas network will enable businesses to procure this renewable gas to decarbonise their operations," he said.
Bia Energy’s Managing Director, Brendan Traynor, said the company's commitment to sustainability includes careful management and processing of food waste, offering a sustainable solution for food manufacturing, distribution, retail, and waste, thereby closing the loop on the circular economy.
"We are also partnering with local farmers to provide a nutrient-rich biofertiliser, replacing approximately 7,000 tonnes of chemical fertiliser annually and supporting the growth of a variety of crops," he added.
He said that Bia Energy's Dublin plant is set to contribute up to 120 gigawatt hours (GWh) of biomethane annually to the national gas network, more than doubling the biomethane volume injected in 2023 and reducing nearly 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
The Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said the launch of the facility aligns with the Government's Biomethane Strategy and is a positive step forward in its aim to create opportunities for the Irish agrifood sector to produce not only food but also energy.
"This facility embodies the innovative spirit and commitment to sustainability that is essential for Ireland's future. Furthermore, it demonstrates how, by working with local farmers and leveraging the expertise of Gas Networks Ireland, Bia Energy shares the Government’s ambition to turn organic waste into valuable resources," he added.
