Kildare community meeting about biogas plant cancelled
A community meeting to discuss a proposed biogas plant at Ballyvass, Co. Kildare which had been due to take place this week has been cancelled.
The event had been organised by CycleO Group, the biomethane platform that builds, owns, and operates plants across Europe.
The company has said that its investment plans in Ireland are progressing, with the first sites planned in Kildare and Limerick.
Last year, CycleO announced its intention to make a €100 million investment in new agri-based biomethane plants in Ireland.
The group is planning to equity-finance, build and operate a total of four new plants, with two additional sites initially identified in Cavan and Galway.
In a statement, CycleO said that the community event planned for this Wednesday (February 19) has to be rescheduled "due to circumstances outside of the company’s control".
"The event, which was intended as an opportunity for the local community in the area close to the proposed biogas plant at Ballyvass, Co. Kildare to learn more about the plans, cannot take place as the event venue has cancelled the booking.
"The venue explained to CycleO that the decision was taken due to information received directly by them of disruption and disorder planned by a few individuals intending to attend the event," the company said.
CycleO added that a new date and location of the event will be confirmed shortly.
Speaking about the decision of the venue to cancel the event, CycleO country manager for Ireland James Manley said:
“We regret the cancellation decision taken by the venue, which was based on the actions of a few people."
"Our intention was to hold an open community event, as we have done elsewhere in Ireland, to speak with local residents and to discuss our plans with them.
"The event was intended to address any potential concerns the local community might have about our plans at Ballyvass, and it was an opportunity to highlight the benefits the plans will bring to Ireland and the local community.
"We look forward to our next opportunity to have those conversations," he added.CycleO currently has biogas plants planned or operating in Spain, Italy, and Ireland and has ambitions to develop, build, own, and operate at least 50 plants across Europe by 2028.
