Gas Networks Ireland’s Mitchelstown Central Grid Injection facility can inject enough biomethane to meet 12% of Ireland’s 2030 target.
Cork facility represents another significant infrastructure investment in Munster in light of the €50m Southern Area Upgrade works announced earlier this year.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will officially open Gas Networks Ireland’s new €32 million Central Grid Injection (CGI) facility in Mitchelstown Co. Cork, this afternoon, marking a significant milestone in the development of Ireland’s indigenous biomethane industry.
The facility creates a new route for biomethane producers to supply renewable gas into Ireland's national gas network but are located too far away to connect directly by pipeline. The Cork-based CGI facility has the capacity to receive renewable gas produced from farm and food waste and is the first of its kind in both Ireland and Europe.
Biomethane produced at independent anaerobic digestion facilities can be transported by trailer to Mitchelstown, where it can be prepared to the required standards and injected into the national gas network. Once injected, the renewable gas can travel to customers through the existing gas pipeline network.
When operating at full capacity, the Mitchelstown CGI facility has the potential to inject up to 700 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of biomethane annually, equivalent to about 12% of the Government’s 2030 target of 5.7 TWh of indigenous biomethane production. The facility could also deliver an estimated 130,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions savings each year.
Speaking at the official opening of Gas Networks Ireland’s CGI facility in Mitchelstown, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:
“The opening of the Mitchelstown Central Grid Injection facility is an important milestone in Ireland’s renewable energy journey and in the development of our indigenous biomethane industry.
“Ireland has set an ambitious target for biomethane production by 2030, and delivering the infrastructure to connect this renewable gas to our national network is a vital element in helping to achieve that goal.
“This investment also has the potential to create new economic opportunities in the agricultural sector, providing farmers and rural businesses with opportunities to diversify their income while contributing to our climate and energy security objectives.
“I’m delighted to return to Mitchelstown, having turned the sod on this project in October 2024, and to see the construction completed and ready to play its part in Ireland’s renewable energy future.”
Gas Networks Ireland’s Chief Executive Officer, David Kelly said:
“Today marks an important step forward for Ireland’s biomethane industry. What we are seeing is a growing appetite from prospective biomethane producers to develop homemade renewable gas and to bring it onto the national network.
“Our market engagement has shown us that the potential is significant, and biomethane also has the potential to create new revenue and diversification opportunities, by turning agricultural and organic resources into renewable energy.
Having recently connected two anaerobic digestion plants in Dublin and Meath directly to our gas network, Mitchelstown now gives producers who are not close enough to a pipeline a route into the national network, helping to unlock the potential of Ireland’s biomethane industry."
“In addition to this biomethane facility and with works already underway on the Southern Area capacity upgrades, our investment in the Munster region will be north of €80 million, as we look to bolster and enhance our security of supply.”
The Irish biomethane sector is currently undergoing significant expansion and investment. Gas Networks Ireland has signed agreements to connect seven major new biomethane producers to its network, including the €35 million College Group biomethane plant in Co Meath and Bia Energy’s €90 million biomethane gas facility in Dublin.
The Mitchelstown CGI facility is part of the broader Green Renewable Agricultural Zero Emissions (GRAZE) project, which is designed to showcase large scale agricultural biomethane clusters that can be replicated across the country. Supported by €8.4 million in funding from the Climate Action Fund, the GRAZE project is a testament to Ireland's commitment to advancing renewable energy and achieving national energy security.
The successful delivery of the Mitchelstown CGI facility was made possible through the collaboration of two key partners, Fingleton White in terms of design and GMC Utilities Group as the construction contractor.
