CycleØ Group, a comprehensive biomethane platform that develops, owns, and operates facilities throughout Europe, has announced plans for a significant investment in new biomethane plants in Ireland. The group, which has established hundreds of biogas and biomethane installations in over 40 countries, aims to build four new agriculture-based facilities across Ireland initially. This initiative requires an investment exceeding €100 million, aimed at delivering sustainable, renewable energy to the country, supporting decarbonization efforts, addressing waste management challenges, and creating new green jobs in rural areas.
CycleØ Group, a comprehensive biomethane platform that develops, owns, and operates facilities throughout Europe, has announced plans for a significant investment in new biomethane plants in Ireland. The group, which has established hundreds of biogas and biomethane installations in over 40 countries, aims to build four new agriculture-based facilities across Ireland initially. This initiative requires an investment exceeding €100 million, aimed at delivering sustainable, renewable energy to the country, supporting decarbonization efforts, addressing waste management challenges, and creating new green jobs in rural areas.
The investment will enable CycleØ to finance, construct, and operate plants at four identified locations: Kildare, Cavan, Galway, and Limerick. Each plant is projected to generate approximately 40 GWh of biomethane annually, sufficient to heat over 3,000 homes in Ireland for a year. These facilities will incorporate the company’s ammoniacal nitrate stripping technology, which will allow for the conversion of the nutrient-rich byproduct, known as digestate, into organic fertilizer by partnering with farmers.
Nitrogen stripping, an optional step in the biomethane production process, removes nitrogen from the digestate, enhancing its application on crops for better nutrient uptake and productivity. This technology has already been successfully implemented by CycleØ in Spain. By contracting farmers for the supply of materials to the plants, this initiative offers a long-term solution for managing slurry, manure, and agricultural waste, alleviating concerns related to nitrate derogation for farmers.
The processing of waste at these plants will create additional revenue streams through standard 15-year contracts. Farmers can enter agreements with CycleØ to sell or lease land for construction and provide their waste for biomethane production, with the option to purchase the resulting nutrient-rich digestate at a low cost.
James Manley, the country manager for Ireland, expressed, “Utilizing agricultural waste to produce biomethane addresses multiple issues—it aids farmers in managing waste, offers low-cost, nutrient-rich fertilizers to bolster Irish agriculture, and generates new green jobs in rural areas. As someone from a farming family in Cork, I take pride in bringing this renewable energy solution to my homeland.”
Laurence Molke, CEO of CycleØ, added, “This is a significant day for Ireland, both for farms and for the nation’s net zero goals. Ireland is a vital, long-term investment opportunity for CycleØ, and we are eager to roll out this fully funded program, starting conversations with local communities and farmers to turn our investment goals into reality. We will be hosting a series of in-person meetings and collaborating with prominent Irish farming and local media to share more details about our plans and the benefits for farmers.”
