Electricity from slurry: €40m Biomethane Grant scheme opens for applications
It is expected that the €40m will kick start the development of around 10 40GWh anaerobic digestion plants within the next 18 months.
The €40m Biomethane Capital Grant has opened for applications with eligible projects allowed to claim up to €5m in funding.
It follows the publication of the National Biomethane Strategy in May. Under the scheme, successful applicants who meet the scheme eligibility can receive a grant aid of 20% of investment up to a maximum of €5m.
Biomethane Strategy has set ambitions to replace up to 10% of the country’s fossil gas needs with biomethane by 2030. It’s envisaged this proportion will rise to over 50% by the mid-2030s, as the economy moves away from gas in favour of electrification.
The strategy is ambitious. Slurry from 1.3 million cattle will also be required to meet the 2030 target, which represents approximately 20% of all winter cattle slurry produced in Ireland.
Biogas is produced as the main product of the anaerobic digestion of biological feedstocks — including food waste, sewage sludge, and agricultural feedstocks.
The anaerobic digestion process produces biogas from feedstocks by decomposing organic material by micro-organisms in large oxygen-free tanks. The resulting biogas is typically comprised of 60% methane and 40% CO. Biogas can be upgraded to sustainable biomethane to replace fossil gas.
To be eligible for this new capital grant, projects must be in receipt of fully approved planning permission by September 13. Approved projects must be completed and the claim for payment submitted to the SEAI by the end of 2025.
This scheme is intended to assist with the development of the biomethane sector by providing a grant to aid capital investment for the construction of plants, including upgrades to existing biogas plants, as well as the development of new plants.
It is expected that the €40m will kick start the development of around 10 40GWh anaerobic digestion plants within the next 18 months.
The Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said his department waited for six weeks for expressions of interest on the scheme, receiving 46 responses. "The sector has responded, confirming both a strong demand and a readiness to invest," he said.
