The waste-to-gas plant would help the environment. Stock image: Getty
A waste-to-gas plant developer backed by private equity is looking to build a facility in Co Kildare as part of its €100m expansion plans for Ireland.
Cycle0, a European biomethane business founded in 2022 and backed by private equity firm Ara Partners, submitted a planning application to Kildare County Council seeking to construct a biogas plant in Ballyvass. The anaerobic digestion facility would produce renewable biomethane, a bio-based fertiliser from organic material and also capture CO2.
The UK-headquartered company’s investment in the Irish market would put it in competition with former Panda Waste owner Eamon Waters, who also operates in the Irish biogas industry through his business, Bia Energy. The firm has a biogas plant off the M50 focused on commercial food waste.
A spokeswoman for Cycle0 said it “provided a detailed, thorough, and professional application” that it believes demonstrates Ballyvass is the right location to support Ireland’s decarbonisation objectives.
Cycle0 has previously announced plans to invest €100m in Ireland. The business said it was looking to equity-finance, build and operate a total of four new agri-based biomethane plants across the country, with the other three plants set to be developed in Limerick, Cavan and Galway.
In January, Cycle0 said its new plants would be expected to generate around 40GWh each of biomethane per annum, enough to heat over 12,000 homes for a year in Ireland. The plants would also create jobs.
Gas Networks Ireland recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cycle0, aiming to accelerate the development and integration of biomethane production into Ireland’s gas network.
It would look to connect Cycle0’s biomethane plants to the gas network in support of government targets.
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