Mr. Tom O'Brien:

I am group chief executive of Nephin Energy. I am joined by my colleagues Mr. Graeme Lochhead, managing director, Nephin Renewable Gas, and Mr. Michael Sweeney, our operations director. Graeme is a dairy farmer’s son from south-west Scotland. The fifth generation of his family still farms there. Michael is a farmer’s son from west Clare, where the fourth generation of his family continues to farm. Both my parents come from farming families. My mother’s family are from near Abbeyfeale in west Limerick, and my father’s family is from Aghada in east Cork. My uncles and cousins on both sides still farm the same land that has been in our families for over a century.

It is a real honour to be invited here today to speak to the Committee on Agriculture and Food. For us, this is not just a professional matter; it is deeply personal. Growing up in a farming background, we saw at first hand the resilience, determination and ingenuity that rural life demands. That upbringing shaped how we view energy and sustainability today, not as abstract policy issues, but as opportunities to strengthen rural Ireland and secure its future.

There is only one practical solution in the short to medium term to help decarbonise Ireland’s gas system, and that is biomethane, produced through the process of anaerobic digestion. Ireland’s potential here is extraordinary. The European Commission has confirmed that Ireland has the best agri-feedstock per capita in the entire EU. Gas Networks Ireland estimates that we could produce up to 14.8 TWh of biomethane annually, which is equivalent to nearly 30% of Ireland’s current gas demand.

To put that in perspective, Denmark, which ranks second in the EU, already produces around 40% of its gas from agricultural sources and aims to reach 100% by 2030. If Denmark can do it, so can Ireland. Biomethane is not just about decarbonisation or hitting climate targets, as important as those goals are. It is about rural renewal, energy security and economic opportunity. Biomethane is unique among renewable energies in that it generates and keeps real value in the local economy. It supports a true circular economy. It improves soil and water quality; produces a natural biofertiliser that replaces imported chemical fertilisers; helps farmers to manage nutrients sustainably; and reduces agricultural emissions while maintaining productive land use. Beyond that, it creates new income streams for farmers that are stable and long term. It generates local jobs in construction, logistics, transport, operations and maintenance and helps revitalise rural economies that have too often been left behind by the energy transition. In short, biomethane turns farm by-products into rural income and opportunity, creating a win-win for farmers, communities and for Ireland’s climate goals.

At Nephin Renewable Gas, we are proud to be helping to plant the seeds of this green gas revolution. We have brought together a team of professionals who have over 200 years of experience in delivering in the renewable gas and agricultural sectors. The Nephin team has been involved in numerous renewable gas projects across Ireland, the UK and around the world, giving Nephin the deep technical and operational expertise required to deliver safe, modern, state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion plants. Last month, we broke ground on our Ballinrobe project in County Mayo, Ireland’s largest agri-based biomethane plant and the first commercial-scale facility of its kind in the country. When complete, Ballinrobe will process 90,000 tonnes of farm waste each year, producing over 85 GWh of sustainable Irish biomethane, enough to heat more than 12,000 homes annually. The project represents €200 million in local investment over the project lifetime. It will support over 100 direct and indirect jobs and provide farmers with long-term, secure revenue streams. Just as important, it will return a nutrient-rich biofertiliser to the land, improving soil health, water quality and farm productivity. Ballinrobe is just the beginning. We now have seven projects in various stages of development across Ireland, each designed to maximise rural benefits, support local farmers and strengthen Ireland’s energy independence.