Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 June 2024
49. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the acreage of agricultural land which he envisages will be devoted to new bio-based activities by 2030 under plans for biofuels and anaerobic digestion, and so on; and how the price of feedstock will be set to ensure stable income to growers. [25752/24]
View answerFarmers are key stakeholders who have a vital role to play in upscaling the biomethane industry in Ireland. Without farmers, the industry will not develop at the required scale.
The Programme for Government 2020 committed to a Land Use Review to ensure relevant land use options inform Government Decisions. It was one of the key considerations during the formation of the recently published National Biomethane Strategy which was co-led by my Department and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
Teagasc estimate that, at a national level, total land area of less than 5% of all available land will be needed to produce the silage to feed the AD biomethane plants required to reach the 5.7 TWh biomethane target by 2030. This equates to approximately 120,000 hectares.
The price of feedstock will be determined by the market. It is envisaged that a stable income for farmers will arise from the diversification opportunity. Importantly, however, it must make financial sense for farmers.
The Climate Action Plan 2024 (CAP 24) states that reaching the 2030 emission reduction targets in the agriculture sector requires supports and options available for farmers to transition to alternative land uses through diversification options. The recently published National Biomethane Strategy will act as a blueprint for the development of this sector and my recent announcement of the Biomethane capital grant will help to kickstart the industry.
