The 3rd REGATRACE workshop in Ireland of 15 December 2021 was attended (online) by 32 participants.

 

The workshop commenced with an update on the emerging industry in Ireland from RGFI CEO PJ McCarthy and it was noted that Ireland lags behind the rest of Europe in not yet having biomethane production at scale but that great progress was being made: Biomethane production had been  included in the programme for Government for the first time, it is referenced in the Climate Action Plan and Government was consulting on the introduction of a Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme. The early implementation of an RHO and capital funding for AD plants are the main asks of Government at this time.

 

An important element in the discussions on biomethane production in Ireland is the sustainability of feedstock production and the importance of not competing with animal feedstock and food production. David Hagan from Devenish Nutrition presented their recent research in this area and the related Sustainability of Biomethane Production in Ireland Report .

 

Mieke Decorte, EBA, presented the general Guidance for Feasibility Analysis Covering Biomethane Investment Projects.

 

This was followed by a Group discussion of the different sections of the  generic guidance and how they are being adapted to the Ireland specific context.

 

  • Regulatory Context / Planning
  • Technical Aspects
    • Operations
    • Sustainability
    • Connection
  • Economics / Market
  • Commerciality

 

It was noted that  the goal of the Guidance is to directly assist project developers in realizing biomethane investment projects and thus needs to be as practically oriented as possible. For the country tailored document, it was agreed that it was not simply a matter of inserting additional  information relevant to Ireland, it would be important to:

 

  • Adjust the language and format of the whole document towards an Irish audience
  • Reduce duplication and lengthy explanations in favour of a more concise document
  • Reduce reference to finance and financial performance as the situation for funding is evolving and data is changing dramatically and so could be misleading
  • Delete reference to the Example – this could be discussed with developers and others on a one to one basis. The Example will still be available in the General document for reference if required.

 

It was noted that the Guidance would continue to be a working document – updated as new information emerged and policy formulated but that the intention was to make it generally available in 2023 following the 4th workshop. The Roadmap will also be distributed at that time.

 

For more information: https://www.renewablegasforum.com