January 20, 2021 3:05 pm
The potential for small-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) plants on Irish farms was a key topic discussed by Minister Eamon Ryan in recent days.
The Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) met with the minister, whose portfolio includes that of the environment and climate, to outline priorities for 2021.
Paddy Phelan, president of IrBEA said that the role of bioenergy “is clear in reducing emissions in agriculture, electricity, heat and transport”.
“Bioenergy also supports rural development, rural enterprise and jobs and provides clean energy through local supply chains,” Phelan said.
Land use planning is crucial in the development of indigenous sustainable bioenergy resources from the existing forestry estate and opportunities for other measures such as agroforestry, energy crops and biogas to reduce emissions across the energy sectors.