An expression of interest process is expected to begin at the end of the third quarter (Q3) of 2026 for the next round of capital grants for biomethane plants.

The Department of Climate, Energy, and the Environment (DCEE) has said it will run a number of grant rounds over the course of a programme, which will operate from 2026 to 2030.

A DCEE spokesperson said: "Funding of up to €200 million for a second round of capital grants has been secured through the updated National Development Plan.

"The DCEE is in the process of developing the scheme in partnership with its consultants and it is anticipated a market notice/expression of interest process will begin at the end of Q3 2026."

The full application process is expected to start shortly thereafter for all applicants that meet the relevant criteria, the spokesperson said.

The level of grant intensity is still being finalised, and once decided, this will determine the number of projects that can be supported by the €200 million, the DCEE told Agriland.

Biomethane capital grants

This comes as the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) recently announced that payments had commenced to successful applicants under the 2024 Biomethane Capital Grant Scheme.

A DAFM spokesperson said that to be eligible for payment under the scheme, applicants must have completed construction of their plants by December 31, 2025.

"As part of the scheme, eight payment claims were received," the spokesperson said.

According to DAFM, the successful applicants will produce approximately 620 gigawatt hours (gWh) of biomethane, which equates to 10.8% of the 5.7 terawatt hours (TWh) biomethane production target, set out in the Climate Action Plan.

The DCEE will have responsibility for the next capital grant scheme.

The DCEE spokesperson said: "The DCEE's capital grant scheme will be similar to the DAFM first round grant.

"However, notable elements of the scheme will be reviewed, for instance percentage level of grant, maximum cap level, and payment milestones."