Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 September 2026
3. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to expedite the implementation of the National Biomethane Strategy in order to make Ireland less dependent on imported fossil fuels (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69069/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraGovernment has committed to ambitious delivery of indigenously produced biomethane per annum by 2030. In response, my Department, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, published the National Biomethane Strategy in May 2024.
Delivery of indigenously produced biomethane and its use within our energy system will have multiple cross-sectoral benefits for Ireland’s economy, energy security and emissions profile. As such, development of the industry will require a coherent and collaborative approach to policy implementation across all sectors, including energy, agriculture and enterprise.
The Biomethane Implementation Group has been established to oversee implementation of the National Biomethane Strategy and the associated delivery of the 25 key strategic actions to ensure the necessary infrastructure and supports are in place to underpin development of an indigenous biomethane industry of scale.
Chaired by my Department, with close support from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Group reports directly to the Heat and Built Environment Taskforce on on-going progress and is comprised of a number of focused sub-groups namely: Infrastructure; Sustainability; Industry; and Economic Issues. Membership of the Group includes key Government Departments and Agencies, and sectoral representatives.
Two key deliverables under the National Biomethane Strategy are the launch of a grant scheme to support the construction of anaerobic digestion facilities and the introduction of the Renewable Heat Obligation scheme. Both are currently being finalised with the grant scheme expression of interest to be published shortly. Other recent deliverables include the connection policy for the national gas network, an interim solution for reverse compression requirements, and the opening of the Central Grid Injection facility in Mitchelstown by Gas Networks Ireland.
The Group continues to engage with action owners and key stakeholders to monitor implementation, and a full progress report on delivery of actions within the National Biomethane Strategy is now published on the biomethane policy information page on the Gov.ie website. It is anticipated that a second progress report on delivery of actions will be published later in 2026.
