Mr. P.J. McCarthy:

On behalf of RGFI, I thank the Chair, Deputy Leddin, and the members for inviting us to address the committee today. Renewable gas, biomethane, is produced when organic materials, such as animal slurry and crop residues, are broken down in an oxygen-free environment, such as in an anaerobic digester. RGFI is a not-for-profit industry forum which aims to work with the Government and decision makers on a consultative and constructive basis, with the purpose of establishing suitable market conditions to enable the growth of an indigenous, AD biomethane industry. Our membership includes people from academia, AD operators; community organisations, shippers and industrial gas consumers with high thermal demand for manufacturing and processing, such as the agri-food processing sector, the drinks sector and transport. As the lead partner for REGATRACE, the Renewable Gas Trade Centre in Europe, in Ireland, since 2019 we have collaborated with key public and private stakeholders to develop an agreed vision and roadmap for AD biomethane in Ireland, that will inform the REPowerEU plan. Today, we are asking the committee to support the development of a scalable and sustainable indigenous anaerobic digestion biomethane industry, which we have demonstrated can provide significant environmental, social and economic benefits to the national bioeconomy and the circular economy, all aligned to the European Green Deal, the farm to fork strategy, and REPowerEU as well as the Government's stated climate actions, and energy security requirements.

The European Commission announced in March 2022 that it will accelerate the roll-out of renewable gases in its plan to move Europe towards independence from Russian fossil fuels by 2030, and to respond to rising energy prices, storage,and security of supply. The EU target for biomethane production by 2030 will increase to 35 billion cubic metres, bcm, which is 350 TWh, from sustainable feedstock, such as agricultural biodegradable materials. RGFI, as a board member of the European Biogas Association, EBA, has been lobbying for an increased ambition and security of supply across Europe for many years, with recent intensified talks in consultation with the European Commission and national governments. The measures within the REPowerEU plan, could gradually displace up to 155 bcm of fossil gas use, which is equivalent to the volume of gas imported from Russia in 2021. The Commission proposes to work with member states to develop a national biomethane plan and identify the most suitable projects to meet those objectives. RGFI was recently appointed chair of the EBA's National Associations Platform, which is a member of the biomethane industry partnership, a new joint secretariat with the European Commission on AD biomethane.

In this capacity, we will continue to represent Irish interests.

Ireland lags well behind other EU member states as it does not have policy and legislation to support the establishment of an indigenous biomethane industry. In recent years, RGFI has worked with industrial gas consumers to develop an integrated business case on biomethane in Ireland, achieving stakeholder and Government recognition, as well as policy and legislative support for biomethane, biofertiliser production and the carbon farming initiatives.

With our grass-based agricultural systems and ready availability of sustainable feedstocks such as animal slurry feedstocks, Ireland is particularly suited to the production of sustainable biomethane and biofertiliser. Recent research carried out by Teagasc has confirmed the availability of between 2 million and 4 million tonnes of sustainable feedstock for AD biomethane and shows how a move to mixed-species sward pastures can further improve the sustainability of renewable energy values and deliver environmental benefits. We estimate that there are 735,000 ha of under-utilised permanent pasturelands available to grow incremental sustainable agricultural feedstock to supply an indigenous and sustainable AD biomethane industry in Ireland.

Momentum is gathering in Ireland to embrace sustainable indigenous biomethane and related biofertiliser production. This is a zero-carbon product that can be used, within a new policy and legislative framework, to meet decarbonisation targets in difficult-to-decarbonise sectors such as thermal demand, agriculture and transport.

We see evidence of strong industrial consumer demand based on collaboration. An example of this is Project Clover, an industry-led dairy industry collaboration on AD biomethane, biofertilisers and carbon farming, with other sectoral representation from transport. Project Clover has reached the conclusion that sustainable agricultural feedstock, AD biomethane, biofertiliser production and carbon farming utilising best practices in compliance with the renewable energy directive, the Paris Agreement and IPCC guidelines on monitoring, reporting and verification is the only commercial, practical and technically feasible and viable way for the industry to decarbonise its food production and thermal demands for manufacturing and processing. Project Clover members have stated their commitment to work closely with farmer producers, developers and key stakeholders to develop a national AD biomethane network of AD plants utilising sustainable agricultural feedstock and management of animal slurries. The proposal is to develop a number of AD plants that would pilot the use of sustainable forage, such as multi-species swards and animal slurries, and develop the commercial proposition for biofertiliser production and carbon farming based on standardised principles. Project Clover would be central to the development of a related AD charter underpinning biomethane, biofertiliser production and environmental and social sustainability principles.