Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 April 2023
105. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if grants will be made available for schools, community buildings and other groups that wish to install small scale anaerobic digesters for cooking purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19853/23]
View answerAnaerobic Digestion (AD) produces biogas which can be captured and used for renewable heat and electricity generation.
My Department has developed a number of schemes and initiatives designed to increase the energy generated from renewable sources, whilst also reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland. These schemes include the grid scale, auction based Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), the Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS), for smaller installations, up to 50 kW in size (30kWe for micro-renewable Combined Heat and Power), and the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH).
The RESS and MSS schemes both include AD for electricity generation with High Efficiency Combined Heat and Power as an eligible technology. Under the RESS, there are a range of measures in place to support increased community ownership, participation in, and benefit from, renewable electricity projects, including an Enabling Framework for Community Participation. However, no AD projects have come through the RESS auctions to date.
