Irish solar PV supplier Local Power has entered a strategic partnership with Vienna-based anaerobic digestion firm Biogest to develop a series of AD projects across Ireland, marking a significant diversification for the agricultural energy sector. The move positions Local Power, founded by former Irish Farmers' Association general secretary Pat Smith, as a dual-technology energy provider serving the farming community.

The Farmers Journal reported that Local Power has been developing its first AD plant in Carnaross, Co Meath, with multiple partners for several years, having secured planning permission, a grid connection offer, finance, and an Environmental Protection Agency waste licence, with the project ready to build pending a biomethane purchase agreement.

The first joint project under the partnership, Curragh Biogas in Carnaross, is designed to produce 599Nm³/h of biomethane using a feedstock mix of poultry, cattle, and pig slurry alongside grass, maize, and rye silage sourced from local farmers. Once operational, the facility is expected to reduce annual emissions by approximately 25,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

The partnership arrives as Ireland's anaerobic digestion sector awaits the rollout of the Government's Renewable Heat Obligation scheme, which is currently being prioritised for legislative drafting with enactment intended in 2026. The National Oil Reserves Agency has been appointed as scheme administrator and is developing its terms, conditions, and administrative systems.

To date, only two biomethane purchase agreements have been publicly announced in Ireland, between Carbon AMS and AstraZeneca, and between Nephin Renewable Gas and Flogas, reflecting the difficulty AD developers face in securing offtake agreements ahead of formal policy confirmation.

Local Power has grown to become a significant supplier of solar PV systems to the agricultural sector and wider industry, with the Biogest partnership representing its first structured move into biomethane production at scale.

See the full story on Local Power's anaerobic digestion expansion.