Kildare County Council has been awarded €50,000 from the Government to investigate using grass from managed green spaces to produce biomethane.

The research project will review the use of this uncultivated land to produce feedstock for anaerobic digestion (AD) in order to reduce over-reliance of agricultural land for energy and safeguard it for food production, the project brief sates.

The development of the AD sector will create a new market for an anticipated 300,000ac of mainly grass silage. Some critics of the emerging AD industry argued that land should be used for food protection instead of energy.

The new research project aims to increase the overall viability of the AD sector by increasing the understanding and awareness of the potential for domestic sustainable clean energy and the circular economy.

Power

The research will also explore how the biomethane produced from the grass could power public service vehicles and heat homes, potentially lowering fuel cost.

For stakeholders involved in the project, they will be provided with an analytical tool to assess the location and size of AD plants and the infrastructural needs for future strategies, policies and capital expenditure.