This presentation prepared by NNFCC Senior Consultant Andrea Muñoz García for the IrBEA Webinar Series provides an introduction to AD Deployment in Ireland. An overview of the biogas and biomethane sectors in Ireland, including current and planned deployment, key regulatory aspects and funding opportunities available.

1. Copyright © NNFCC 2023
AD Deployment in Ireland
An overview of the biogas and biomethane sectors in Ireland, including
current and planned deployment, key regulatory aspects and funding
opportunities available
IrBEA Webinar Series
Andrea Muñoz García
10th May 2023

2. Copyright © NNFCC 2023
Contents
Contents
About NNFCC
NNFCC’s Report on AD Deployment in Ireland
Policy framework
Incentives
Current deployment in Ireland
Concluding remarks
About NNFCC

3. Copyright © NNFCC 2023
NNFCC is a specialist business consultancy with over 19 years of
bioeconomy experience
We view bio-based technologies as key components of the low carbon economy
delivering economic, social and environmental benefits.
Who we are?
About NNFCC

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Mission
to provide sector leading strategic business consultancy; analysing,
explaining and de-risking the bioeconomy for our clients.
Objective
to provide clients with a strategic view of feedstock, technology,
policy and market development across the bioeconomy, enabling
them to make informed business decisions and develop
sustainable business strategies.
Our mission
About NNFCC

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Consultancy Services
MARKET
ANALYSIS
FEEDSTOCK
ASSESSMENT
& SOURCING
SUSTAINABILIT
Y STRATEGY
BUSINESS
PLANNING
AND
OPPORTUNITY
APPRAISAL
TECHNOLOGY
AND
ECONOMIC
APPRAISAL
POLICY,
REGULATORY
GUIDANCE
AND ADVICE
About NNFCC

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Client Base
We provide our services
to public and private
sector organisations,
from spin-outs and
start-ups to
multinational corporates
About NNFCC

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Bioenergy
Consultancy services across all biomass heat and power
technologies:
Market entry strategy
Resource assessment and feedstock due diligence
Policy and regulatory support schemes; application &
ongoing reporting
Biogas & Biomethane Carbon Calculator; with GHG
compliance support
Facilitation of partnerships; investor, developer, operator,
supplier
About NNFCC

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UK AD Deployment Report
Extensive market data and analysis on current and future
development trends for anaerobic digestion and composting
Detailed sector commentary and comprehensive overview of
policy and incentives affecting the anaerobic digestion
development landscape.
Comprehensive excel database of more than 1000 planned
and operational Anaerobic Digestion facilities in the UK.
Includes site name and location; feedstock type, source and
volumes; energy output type and capacity; and development
status.
Current data on UK biomethane refueling station network,
including operational and planned sites.
About NNFCC

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NNFCC – over a decade working
alongside project partners in Ireland
10 years plus working alongside Irish project
partners on anaerobic digestion innovation and
market development.
In particular, EU-funded Bio Base NWE and
Biobase4SME collaborative projects, supporting
awareness-raising of bioeconomy and
biogas/biomethane in Ireland, and fostering market
development.
Produced factsheets on Irish bioeconomy in
collaboration with Irish TCBB (2015) and tcbb
RESOURCE, NUI Galway/UCG’s Ryan Institute and UL
(2018) – in BioBaseNWE and BioBase4SME.

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Irish AD Deployment
Database and Report
NNFCC is monitoring market growth in Ireland to inform business and policy
decisions in future years – Irish AD Deployment Report.
The Irish AD, biogas and biomethane sectors are still at an early stage of
development.
The EC identified Ireland as having the highest potential per capita to
produce biomethane; current focus on tackling climate change and energy
security have led to ambitious biomethane production targets.
Comprehensive overview on:
• Policy framework
• Incentives
• Installed capacity
• Feedstock
AD Deployment
Report - Ireland
• Policy framework

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European Policy
framework
>

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Irish Policy
framework

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Incentives for the sector
• Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH)
• Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) – expected for 2024
Heat sector
• Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff (REFiT) - closed
• Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS)
• Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS)
Electricity
• Biofuels Obligation Scheme (BOS)
Transport
Incentives
• Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH)

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Incentives - SSRH
Support Scheme for Renewable Heat
Aimed at increasing the amount of renewable
energy in the heat sector.
Managed by the SEAI, opened for applications
in 2019
Provides both installation and operational
support.
Biogas systems benefit from operational
support, offered in the form of quarterly tariff
payments.
Relaunched in March 2023 to widen the scope
of the programme.
Incentives

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Incentives in the UK – for comparison
Incentives
• Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) (closed)
• Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS)
Heat sector
• Renewable Obligation (RO) (closed)
• Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) (closed)
• Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
• Contracts for Difference (CfD)
Electricity
• Renewable Fuel Transport Obligation (RTFO)
Transport

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AD Deployment in Ireland –
operational plants
Biogas
30 operational AD plants in Ireland, including 9 WWTPs.
3 projects with approved/submitted applications.
Slow growth 11 new plants since 2017.
Biomethane
2 plants producing biomethane.
Injecting into the grid through central injection point.
A new central injection point planned.
Current
deployment
WWTP
AD plants

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1https://www.epa.ie/our-services/monitoring--assessment/waste/national-waste-statistics/composting--anerobic/ .
Current
deployment
AD Deployment in Ireland –
capacity and feedstock
Capacity and plant size
The installed capacity is in the ‘000kWe range.
Most capacity at present derived from WWTP.
Medium scale (250-500kWe) plants are the most
common, but most capacity comes from a few large-
scale plants (>500kWe).
Biomethane capacity is in the range of a few thousands
nm3/hr.

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1https://www.epa.ie/our-services/monitoring--assessment/waste/national-waste-statistics/composting--anerobic/ .
Current
deployment
AD Deployment in Ireland –
capacity and feedstock
Feedstock
Most existing plants are waste fed, providing the
majority of the available capacity.
Waste used includes wastewater sludge, dairy
processing waste and food waste, among others.
Waste feedstock
Estimated that in 2020, 310ktonnes of Irish waste was
processed by AD.1
A similar amount processed by composting.
In 2020, 27% of this waste was transferred to NI, 7%
increase from 20% in 2019.

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Deployment in the UK – for comparison
Current
deployment
Biogas - CHP
At present 615 operational biogas CHP plants in the UK.
With an installed capacity of around 570MWe.
Scale distribution is similar in the number of plants, but with
most capacity given by the large-scale sites.
21 new plants commissioned in 2021/2022.
Biomethane
At present 126 BtG operational sites.
With a production capacity that is around 15 times the current
install capacity in Ireland.

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Concluding remarks
Concluding
remarks
The Irish AD, biogas, and biomethane sectors are still at an
early stage of development.
NNFCC is monitoring market growth through the Irish AD
Deployment Report.
Installed capacity in the ‘000kWe range, involving a majority
of medium scale (250-500kWe) plants that are waste fed.
The ambitious targets set by both the EU and Ireland, as well
as new incentives, are expected to help developing this
industry in the upcoming years.

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