Biogest and Local Power partner to accelerate biomethane development in Ireland

Austrian anaerobic digestion specialist Biogest has announced a strategic partnership with Irish renewable energy developer Local Power to advance agricultural biomethane projects across Ireland, with a ready-to-build facility in County Meath as the first joint project.

The Curragh Biogas plant in Carnaross, Co. Meath, is designed to produce 599 Nm³/h of biomethane using a feedstock mix of poultry, cattle and pig slurry alongside grass, maize and rye silage. Once operational, the facility is expected to reduce annual emissions by an estimated 25,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.

Pat Smith, managing director of Local Power, said the collaboration brought together "the technical strength and project experience needed to deliver a high-quality biomethane facility for Ireland," adding that Biogest's proven technology would provide confidence to farmers and developers.

Martin Schlerka, chief executive of Biogest, described Ireland as "a very promising environment for biomethane development," while noting that growth would depend on "a stable and effective policy framework" being in place. He highlighted Local Power's track record of developing hundreds of renewable projects in Ireland over the past decade.

The partnership will deploy Biogest's PowerRing technology, which the company said had demonstrated efficiency and reliability in agricultural feedstock processing across global installations.

Local Power said the collaboration represented a significant step towards a farmer-inclusive model of biomethane production, combining Biogest's technology expertise with its own market knowledge and project development capabilities.