In Ireland, Teagasc published research report assessing the potential for agriculture-based anaerobic digestion (AD) to support Ireland’s growing biomethane industry. The report, produced under the FLEET Project (Farm Level Economic, Environmental and Transport Modelling of Alternative Feedstocks for Regional Anaerobic Digestion), delivers the most comprehensive assessment to date of the economic viability, environmental impact, and logistical challenges involved in using grass and animal waste as a feedstock for biomethane production at a national scale.
The report finds that while supplying grass silage to AD plants can be a competitive alternative to traditional cattle and sheep enterprises, profitability varies significantly by farm and depends heavily on the price paid to farmers for silage.
A survey conducted as part of the study revealed a strong willingness among farmers to supply 175,000 hectares of silage, well above the 110,000 to 130,000 hectares estimated to be required to meet Ireland’s 5.7 TWh biomethane production target for 2030.
The study also highlights significant environmental benefits to increased AD adoption. Grass-based AD feedstock systems could reduce farm-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 to 98% per hectare on participating farms, driven largely by reductions in livestock numbers. Slurry-based AD feedstock systems were found to deliver emissions reductions as high as 11% per hectare.
