Ireland’s anaerobic digestion (AD) industry will not get off the ground if farmers are not incentivised to get involved in the industry, Teagasc’s Barry Caslin has said.

Caslin said that farmers will need to have skin in the game for the industry to work.

“Farmers could be incentivised to ensure plant performance,” he told the Irish Farmers Journal's Renewables Roadshow event in Athlone on Tuesday night.

Feedstock

He said the key question will be whether farmers involved in AD plants will have enough feedstock to supply these plants.

“Have you enough material to keep this metal animal fed? It’s like a metal cow, you have to keep it fed all year round. Grass silage, slurry and food waste. Farmers will have to commit to providing 100% of the feedstock,” he said.

He said that there is also the possibility for farmers to receive their own shareholding in AD plants without risking their own funds.

Silage prices

Farmers have an opportunity to play a leading role to provide feedstock for AD plants, he said.

“It is a reliable income source. There is a unique opportunity here," he said, comparing fluctuating grass prices in recent years of between €16 and €40 per bale.

Seán Finan of Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) said that the body would be strongly saying that Ireland should be looking at building the first AD plants where there isn’t much competition for feedstock.

“It depends on the part of the country you’re in too,” he said.