Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 3 May 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Biomethane Renewable Gas: Discussion
Mr. Brian Mullins:
We believe a number of measures will be needed to bring forward biomethane at scale. Obviously, the biomethane producers would, in the absence of supports, be subject to a wholescale natural gas price that moves around. The key, as we have heard when we talk to investors on this front, is that there needs to be some level of price certainty for these producers to encourage them to come on board and make a long-term decision to make a substantial investment in AD technologies. Capital grants and the renewable heat obligation that is coming through are important as well, but the evidence we are seeing suggests there needs to be some level of price certainty that will give some assurance to the AD producers, from the commercial perspective of their business plan, regarding the value of their product for the coming years.