Scores of challenges over Birdhill biogas plant
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Site for the proposed biogas plant near Birdhill closely surrounded by roads with a high density of houses. Photo: Annaholty Birdhill Biogas Community Group Facebook pageImage 2 of 3
Alan Kelly, TD, who has made a submission on the proposed biogas plant, is critical of the lack of regulations surrounding such developments.Image 3 of 3
The narrow Annaholty road, which borders the proposed site for the biogas plant on one side.Several scores of submissions have been received by Tipperary County Council in relation to an application for planning permission for the construction of a biogas plant near Birdhill.
Annaholty Green Energy Limited. has applied for planning permission to construct at 50,000 tonnes/annum biogas generating plant at Thornhill, Annaholty a short distance on the Limerick side of Birdhill village.
Annaholty Birdhill Biogas Community Group have convened a number of public meetings on the development to which the company was invited to send a representative. The invitations were declined and the lack of engagement with the community has been criticised by the group.
The close of submissions to Tipperary County Council on the application was 5pm on Monday last, November 24.
By mid-morning on Tuesday 181 submissions had been officially acknowledged by the council. Decision on the application is scheduled for December 15.
The proposed site, which is part of a forestry development at the address is ideally located for a generating plant, being within yards of an existing gas pipe line on the R445 (old N7) Limerick-Nenagh road.
In their application to the county council, the company explained that they have over 20 years’ experience and have developed a suite of renewable energy projects in both wind and renewable gas, including the first commercial-scale anaerobic digestion plant in Ireland, at Shanagolden, Co Limerick (Green Gas Anaerobic Digestion Plant) 15 years ago.
The possible impact on community life in highly populated area with over 70 homes in close proximity surrounding the proposed site, with concerns for safety, possibility of fire or explosion, traffic on minor rural roads and impact in the environment, appear to be the main issues of the local community.
Submissions have been made by EPA, Deputy Alan Kelly, Cllr Fiona Bonfield (a member of Tipperary County Council), Cllr Ursula Gavan (a member of Limerick County Council), Castleconnell Masters Rowing, Birdhill Development and Environment Association, Birdhill NS Board of Management, Birdhill NS principal and staff, Longhouse Field Committee and Birdhill Football Club.
In the Dáil, Deputy Kelly described as “bananas” the Government approach to the promotion of biogas generating plants in the absence of national guidelines for such developments.
Annaholty Green Energy said plan has underlined their “proven track record of successfully bringing renewable energy projects to Ireland through planning, construction and operation”.
They added: “The captured renewable gas will be upgraded from raw biogas to biomethane and injected via onsite infrastructure into the local Gas Network Ireland (GNI) network located in close proximity to the site.”
The proposed development will process in the region of 50,000 tonnes per annum of agricultural feedstocks such as farmyard manures and slurries, poultry litter, maize and grass silage.
It is envisioned that the proposed development will generate ca 40 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable gas per annum and as part of the process, a by-product of AD production, digestate, will be produced and will be utilised as a bio-fertiliser.
The company are seeking a 10-year licence for the construction of the development.
John Delaney, chairman, Annaholty Birdhill Bio Gas Community Group said that the proposed site on an area of 30 acres (approximately) is much larger than normally required for a plant of the proposed scale, but the company refrained from confirming that the additional space would not be used for expansion of the scale of operation in the future.