South Mayo anaerobic digester facility plans before council
PLANS for an anaerobic digester facility in south Mayo are before Mayo County Council for consideration.
The proposed facility, which will produce renewable biomethane, is being proposed on a site within the townlands of Levally, Cappacurry and Knocknadrimna, Ballinrobe.
The developers have had discussions with 71 agricultural operators in the locality who have confirmed their agreement to supply feedstock and receive digestate in return.
Documentation submitted to council planners sets out how the total gross floor area of the proposed development will be c. 3,445 sq.m. It includes three digesters (c. 16m in height) and two digestate storage structures.
It is designed to accept and treat up to 90,000 tonnes per annum of predominantly locally sourced agricultural manures, slurries, food processing residues and crop-based feedstocks.
The planning report prepared on behalf of the applicants, John Sheridan and Nephin Renewable Gas - Ballinrobe Limited, explains how the proposed facility will 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), which will be injected, via a connection to the gas network, into the grid.
It will also produce high quality bio-based fertiliser (the digestate which is an output of the anaerobic digestion process).
Carbon dioxide arising from the anaerobic digestion process on site will be captured as part of the process and will also potentially be utilised for a variety of purposes including replacement of fossil fuel carbon dioxide in the drinks and agricultural industries, as a feedstock for liquid biofuel production, or sequestered in suitable underground storage facilities.
The report says digestate (liquid and solid) resulting from the process will be converted into high-quality bio-based fertiliser products, which will be utilised on farms supplying the facility. This fertiliser can displace fossil fuel-based chemical fertilisers, and the use of slurry on agricultural lands (as slurry will be diverted into the facility itself).
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. This assists in the overall viability and continued prosperity of the agricultural sector in the area.
The development itself will also bring about a notable level of employment in the locality through direct and indirect job creation of around 75 full-time positions.
The site is adjacent to a large-scale pig farm, a key supplier to the facility, and is well removed from any existing residential dwellings.
However the technology incorporated into the design ensures it will not give rise to nuisance or negative impact on residential amenity in the area.
This renewable energy development, the report continued, is brought forward at a time when the urgency of GHG emissions reduction and transition to renewable energy sources is well documented, with biogas facilities like the one proposed representing one of the key ingredients required to provide for a secure and sustainable energy supply for the State.
Full details on the proposal and reports are available on the Mayo County Council website.