46 farmers agree to provide feedstock to proposed Kildare AD plant

Planning approval for a biomethane anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in Co. Kildare is being sought with farmers already lined up to provide feedstock.

Cycle0 has submitted a planning application to Kildare County Council for the development comprising the construction of an AD facility to produce renewable biomethane from organic material on a site within the townland of Ballyvass, Castledermot.

The proposed development site is greenfield in nature and is currently in use as agricultural pastureland, with a total area of about 5.12ha. The site is also primarily surrounded by agricultural lands.

According to the planning application, the development would take in manure/slurry, whole crop, and other organic material and use this to produce renewable biomethane (a direct replacement for fossil fuel natural gas).

This would be injected, via a connection to the gas network into the grid within the site boundary, "thereby improving the carbon intensity of gas used for everyday domestic and industrial processes around the country".

The AD facility is also expected to produce high quality fertiliser - the digestate which is an output of the AD process - which will be utilised on farms supplying the facility.

The renewables company has stated that the overall result is a significant improvement in the sustainability and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with farms supplying the facility and utilising the organic fertiliser produced.

According to the application, the proposed development can support between 30-45 jobs (consisting of 5-8 full-time jobs in the plant, 14 jobs supported in the applicant’s operational team, and about 25 local contractors), specifically across rural locations, and protect existing farming employment.

The planning application is accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and associated Non-Technical Summary which outlines the predicted impact on the environment and sets out a range of precise and enforceable mitigation measures to ensure the development does not result in any significant impact.

The application also includes an Appropriate Assessment (AA) Screening Report and Natura Impact Statement (NIS), which address the impact of the development on relevant Natura 2000 (European) protected sites, with mitigation measures incorporated to ensure that the development would have no impact on the integrity of those sites.

The proposed AD plant comprises an activity that requires and Industrial Emissions (IE) licence from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The agricultural manures, slurries, and crop-based feedstocks will be sourced from nearby agricultural operators.

To date, the applicant has engaged with numerous local farmers, 46 of whom have confirmed their agreement to supply feedstock to the proposed development.

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In exchange, they will receive bio-based fertiliser produced by the facility. 96% (44) are located within a 15km radius of the site, and all are within a 20km radius, according to the application.

Cycle0 has also stated: "The design of the proposed development takes account of the characteristics of the rural area within which it is situated, with the design incorporating a range of landscaping, screening, and design measures to ensure that it will integrate effectively with its local visual and landscape environment."

Kildare County Council has notified a number of agencies about the development should they wish to make a submission, including An Taisce, The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. and the Heritage Council.

A decision is expected from the county council by October 6, 2025.

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