The potential benefits for farmers of setting up a farm scale biogas plant on their enterprise will be the focus of an upcoming open day on an organic farm in Co. Galway.

The open day will take place on Friday, October 3, on Riverview Farm, owned by Brendan Gildea, who built a biogas plant on his farm, and is being organised by the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA).

Brendan is an organic dairy farmer with a 200-cow herd, plus young stock followers, on the outskirts of Dunmore town in Co. Galway.

He is a pioneering farmer and was one of the first to deploy robotic milking equipment in Ireland.

There are now three generations of the Gildea family involved in the operation of the farm.

The biogas plant on Riverview Farm was built with a 50% capital grant, provided as part of the recently completed European Innovation partnership programme (EIP AGRI) Small Biogas Demonstration Project (SBDP), set up to develop farm scale biogas plants in Ireland.

A 49kW biogas plant (4,000t feedstock input) was designed and installed by Tank Storage Systems Ltd, Kildare.

The plant has successfully operated for the last number of months.

Riverview Farm, Farm Scale Biogas Plant. Source: John Reynolds

Brendan said: “We were delighted to be able to participate in this EIP project and to see the plant built and commissioned here in Riverview Farm over the past few months.

“We are already producing renewable biogas, heat and electricity for use on the farm. We look forward to sharing our story with visitors next week.”

What is farm scale biogas?

A farm scale biogas plant is a smaller sized, anaerobic digestion facility capable of taking farm sources such as manure and slurries and converting them into a renewable form of biogas which can then be used to provide heat and electricity.

A farm-scale biogas plant of this nature and size means no feedstock for the plant is imported onto the farm.

Therefore no pasteurisation of the farm-sourced feedstock is required.

What are the benefits? Economic, emissions reductions and farm diversification

This scale of biogas plant has strong potential on many farms in Ireland as a driver of farm income, emissions reduction, and better use of farm resources, if supported through a capital grant.

The by-product, called digestate, is an improved source of nutrients made available for land spreading, and which could reduce the need for chemical fertilisers.

The renewable sources of heat and power can offset or reduce the cost of imported fossil fuels or electricity for the farmer.

IrBEA’s role

IrBEA are the representative body for the bioenergy sector in Ireland, which includes both biogas and biomethane.

Its membership includes farmers, existing biogas plant operators, project developers, and technology and service providers to the sector.

EIP Small Biogas Demonstration Project

The EIP AGRI projects are designed to foster innovative solutions to improve the sustainability and viability of farming systems.

IrBEA was the lead partner of the recent SBDP, with Teagasc as a project partner, led by Barry Caslin, Energy and Rural Development specialist.

The specific emphasis of the SBDP was to explore all aspects and the potential for the development of farm-scale biogas plants in Ireland.

The Irish Bioenergy Association and Tank Storage System representatives explain plant design and installation details to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD. (l-r): Noel Gavigan, IrBEA; Ben Sage, Tank Storage Systems Ltd.; Seán Finan, IrBEA; Minister Martin Heydon. Source: John Reynolds — The IrBEA and Tank Storage System representatives explain plant design and installation details to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD. (l-r): Noel Gavigan, IrBEA; Ben Sage, Tank Storage Systems Ltd.; Seán Finan, IrBEA; Minister Martin Heydon. Source: John Reynolds

Farm-scale biogas plants are generally those which use a farmer’s own inputs (slurry and manure) to produce biogas to generate renewable electricity and renewable heat and use all the digestate produced on the farm.

Open day

The farm is set to host an open day to give farmers an opportunity to view the recently constructed biogas plant.

The Farm Scale Biogas open day will take place over two time slots, on:

Friday, October 3, 2025. 10:00a.m-12:00p.m;
Friday, October 3, 2025, 2:00p.m-4:00p.m.

While the open day is free to attend, registration is mandatory, as spaces are limited.

Click here to register for your chosen time slot

Seán Finan, CEO of IrBEA said: “We look forward to welcoming interested parties to the open day to see the recently completed farm scale biogas plant.

“Through the EIP project, over the past number of years, we explored the potential role this type and scale of plant may play in Ireland, investigating the technical viability, the financial and environmental aspects as well as the as the level of knowledge and understanding that exists around this scale of on farm biogas production.

“We look forward to sharing the project’s learnings and outcomes with attendees on the day.”

The open day on Riverview Farm will showcase the farm-scale biogas plant and demonstrate how it enhances and complements the existing farming enterprise.

All figures and details regarding the plant operation/output and the economics of the plant will be outlined and attendees will be able to hear from experts on the day.

Finan added: “During the course of the project, it became evident that there was a huge level of interest from the Irish farming sector in this type and scale of plant but that not every type of farming enterprise was suitable.

“The valuable learnings of the project have demonstrated that where these farm scale plants are viable, the environmental and financial savings can be significant.

“We invite interested parties to come and visit us during the open day and see for themselves.”

If you require further information on this project or on any aspect of biogas production, please contact Seán Finan at seanfinan@irbea.org

Click here to visit the IrBEA website

Michael Haverty

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