Construction has officially begun on Ireland’s largest agri-based biomethane plant, the first commercial scale plant of its kind in the country.

Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, with responsibility for circular economy, Alan Dillon, joined senior leaders from Nephin Renewable Gas, Flogas and DCC plc., at an official groundbreaking ceremony this morning (Thursday, September 11) at the site of the plant near Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.

Once operational, the Ballinrobe plant will process 90,000t of farm waste annually – including manures and slurries – to generate over 85GWh of Irish-produced biomethane.

It will also create over 100 direct and indirect jobs over its lifetime, while providing farmers with long-term, reliable income streams, according to the developers.

The ceremony also marked the signing of a landmark biomethane offtake agreement between Flogas and Nephin.

Under this agreement, Flogas will be the offtake partner for the renewable gas produced by the three state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion (AD) plants being developed by Nephin across the country.

These plants, once operational, are expected to deliver over 250GWh of biomethane annually – enough to heat over 38,000 homes.

The Ballinrobe facility will be the first to come on stream in 2027, with details of the two further plants to be announced later this year.

According to the companies, this partnership, a first of its kind in Ireland, marks a major step in Ireland’s green gas transition, supporting the government’s target to produce 5.7TWh of biomethane by 2030.

Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O'Brien stated: "It is fantastic to see two industry leaders join forces to drive meaningful growth in the biomethane sector and deliver economic and environmental benefits for rural communities.

"Projects like this are vital for driving economic activity, creating rural jobs, and accelerating our transition away from fossil fuels.

"It's a practical, tangible example of how innovation and collaboration can deliver real progress towards our climate goals," Minister O'Brien added.

Minister Alan Dillon hailed the agreement as a pivotal moment for Ireland’s energy landscape: "This strategic collaboration between Nephin Renewable Gas and Flogas represents a significant leap forward for Ireland's green gas transition.

It directly supports the government’s ambitious decarbonisation targets, particularly our critical goal to produce 5.7TWhs of biomethane by 2030, as outlined in our National Biomethane Strategy.

"The recently published Heads of Bill for the Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) has provided crucial clarity to the market, and this project is a tangible example of how industry partnerships, driven by supportive policy, can deliver clean energy, revitalise rural economies, and reduce our reliance on volatile imported fossil fuels." 

Biomethane is a renewable gas that can replace natural gas on the gas grid, helping to cut emissions in hard-to-decarbonise areas like heating, transport, and industry.

It is produced through AD, a natural process where farm and food waste emissions are captured and converted into energy in a controlled environment.

This process can transform agricultural waste (such as slurries and manures) into valuable energy, significantly reducing the country’s carbon footprint.

Group chief executive of Nephin Energy, Tom O’Brien said: "Biomethane will play a central role in Ireland’s future energy mix, and we are proud to be driving growth in this sector.

"Partnering with Flogas, a recognised leader in sustainable energy, accelerates our development pipeline while unlocking the economic and environmental benefits that biomethane can deliver to rural communities across Ireland."

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, managing director of Flogas, John Rooney said: “This is the largest domestic biomethane agreement of its kind to date in Ireland, representing a significant boost for our agricultural sector and national net-zero progress.

"This legislation needs to be enacted without delay. Our partnership demonstrates how industry leaders can work together to achieve national climate goals, paving the way for a sustainable and low-carbon future for Ireland.”

Nephin anticipates that an AD plant of this size will contribute up to €200 million to the local economy over its lifetime.

The three new AD facilities are also expected to generate hundreds of direct and indirect local jobs spanning vital sectors such as contracting, logistics, maintenance, mechanics, and support services, feedstock aggregation and bio-fertiliser recovery. 

The companies have said that it also provides farmers with long-term, reliable income opportunities through feedstock supply and delivery of various agri services, while helping farmers lower their own emissions.

The project processes agricultural waste into nutrient rich, cost competitive bio-fertiliser. When spread on land, this product reportedly improves soil health and displaces chemical fertiliser. Each AD plant is expected to process about 90,000t of agricultural waste each year.

Farmers who would like to learn more about feedstock contribution opportunities are urged to contact Nephin's management team directly.

Managing director, Nephin Renewable Gas, Graeme Lochhead added: “Today is a proud day for the Nephin team and for the biomethane sector in Ireland.

"From the very beginning, our goal has been to build an agri-centric business that genuinely contributes to and collaborates with rural communities across Ireland. We look forward to bringing that vision to life over the coming years."

Chief executive of DCC plc., Donal Murphy said: “DCC has a unique energy business, providing multi-energy solutions to our customers including biomethane.

"Today’s announcement exemplifies the power of collaboration - bringing together the expertise of DCC, Flogas, and Nephin to deliver innovative solutions that accelerate the cleaner energy transition."