The hunt continues for up to 2,000 farmers to supply slurry and manure to multiple large-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) plants across Ireland.

First launched in May, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partnership-backed Greengate Biogas plans to build seven “Danish-style” AD plants in each region of Ireland by 2030.

The plants would produce 1.8 TWh of biomethane per year for injection into the gas grid. For reference, the country’s 2030 target is 5.7 TWh of biomethane.

The Greengate team attended the National Ploughing Championships this year, canvassing farmers to supply slurry and manure, as well as to provide sites for the plants. The Irish Framers Journal spoke to Leon Mekitarian, development director of sites & feedstock who was on stand for the three days.

Slurry and manure

Each biogas plant will require 600,000 tonnes of feedstock from local farms. The company states that the principal feedstock diet is livestock manure and slurry and that grass silage is “not on the menu."

They are seeking wet slurry and dry farmyard manure from dairy, beef, poultry, and equine farmers.

The feedstock will be collected fresh, free of charge, from farms. The company states that the feedstock will be valued based on dry matter/biogas content but stopped short of explaining how much farmers could be paid when questioned by the Irish Farmers Journal.

However, the team report that interest and commitment to supply has been exceptional so far.

Digestate

The equivalent pasteurised digestate product will be returned to the farmers supplying the feedstock.

Greengate states that there is little Irish experience in using digestate, and the company will be launching a digestate information campaign in 2025 to coincide with the development of its first AD plant.

The company states that for every one tonne of artificial fertiliser replaced with digestate, it will save one tonne of oil, 108 tonnes of water and seven tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Sites

The teams are also on the lookout for strategic sites to build the AD plants, with a number already secured.

Among the requirements, the sites need to be within 5km of the national gas grid and have good road access. The sites are either leased or purchased from the landowner and can be upwards of 20ac in size.

Emission reduction

Greengate states that contracting your manure and slurry to one of their plants could reduce your farm's carbon footprint by as much as 11% per year.

For an average dairy farm with 150 cows, this could result in an emission reduction of around 250 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year they state.

CIP

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partnership (CIP) is the world's largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield renewable energy investments, with €28bn of assets under management.