Lee-Jane Eastwood (Cré) and Padraic O’Neill (IrBEA) at the joint Biogas Manifesto launch on 12th November

Thousands of jobs, cheap heating/electricity, and achieving renewables targets – politicians hear how to create the conditions to achieve these goals at IrBEA-Cré ‘Biogas Manifesto’ launch

Politicians from across the political landscape last Thursday November 12th heard how a simple technology can deliver thousands of jobs and significant other social, economic and environmental benefits – through the use of anaerobic Digestion (AD). Details were outlined in Dublin at the joint launch of the ‘Biogas Manifesto’ by the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) and Cré, the Composting and Anaerobic Digestions Association. click here to download manifesto. 

Analysis by the two associations indicates AD – which is a simple, proven, practical biological recycling technology – has the potential to create 2,250 direct permanent jobs, with many more in the construction phase, spread across all counties in Ireland. This would be especially welcome in rural Ireland, as many rural areas struggle to emerge from the financial crisis.

AD has the capability to supply enough electricity to power 20% of Irish homes, or to replace 7.5% of the fossil-based natural gas with renewable “green” gas, via the national gas grid. Renewable energy from AD could be a significant incentive to attract new foreign investment into Ireland, enabling major companies such as Apple to gain marketing traction by meeting their sustainability goals.

Cré CEO Percy Foster said: “The technology for biogas in proven and readily available. The current review of the bioenergy strategy needs to recognise the great opportunities that biogas provides.”

Director of IrBEA Padraic O’Neill said: “Biogas represents a huge opportunity for locally produced renewable energy, job creation, rural development and sustainable agriculture. This needs to be higher on the political agenda.”

John  O’Mahony, T.D, Chair of the Oireathtas Committee on Energy, extended an invitation to the industries bodies to present to the Committee in the near future.

Household and Commercial Food Waste Regulations Amended

The Department of Environment Community and Local Government has amended the food waste regulations

The key amendments in the both Regulations are:

Definition of authorised treatment plants are composting, biogas and pet food manufacturing plants and excludes type 8 plants.

Household Regs:

Waste Collectors have to provide a waste receptacle (brown bin) directly to a householders address.

Food waste have to be collected at least every fortnight. In the case where the residual collection is more frequent, a brown bin service has to be collected as least as often as the residual bin.

SI 190 of 2015 (3)  Commercial Food Waste Amendments

SI 191 of 2015 (3)  Household Food Waste Regulations

Cré Market Report Shows Worrying Trends

Today, Cré is publishing its Market Report for the year 2014.  There are concerning trends in relation to the downward trend of waste being presented for processing. The volumes of brown bin material has decreased by 16%, sewage sludge by 33%. The only waste stream that has shown any significant growth is organic fines (138% increase).

Percy Foster Chief Executive of Cré stated “Cré members expressed deep concerns about the decrease of brown bin material being processed in plants in Ireland. This decrease has occurred despite Ireland implementing national regulations for the source separation of commercial food waste in  2010 and households food waste in  2013, which are designed to encourage the recycling of food waste. This trend of decreasing brown bin volumes processed in Ireland needs to be urgently addressed by Minister Kelly”

From a peak of twelve plants, there are now just seven plants left that are processing brown bin material. Several plants have moved away from brown bin processing, and now are processing organic fines due to the lack of volumes of brown bin material. Indeed, The view within the industry is that the processing of organic fines is a temporary solution until the new indigenous incineration capacity increases in late 2017.

The processing of sewage sludge through composting continues to decrease and this trend is unlikely to change, as land spreading remains the relatively cheaper option, although of higher environmental risk, compared to regulated composting sites. 

ENDS

You can download the report here- Cre_Market Report_For Year 2014

2015 Cre Guide Composting and Anaerobic Digestion

Membership Report_2014_Final

Cre_Market Report_2014

Press Release  18.12.2014

IrBEA- Cré Anaerobic Digestion Policy Group

IrBEA and Cré, while keeping their existing functions, they are to team up and form a new anaerobic digestion policy working group. “The IrBEA- Cré Anaerobic Digestion Policy Group” will be the new “voice for the industry on anaerobic digestion policy during the consultation period of the draft Bioenergy Strategy”. 

Fred Tottenham (President of the Irish Bioenergy Association) said “by creating the joint working group it will allow the two existing Associations to pool their knowledge and have a much stronger voice than we have presently.”

Martin Eves (Chairman of Cré – Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Association of Ireland) said “We have agreed that our respective biogas committees will work together so we can create a greater pool of ideas and evidence. Drawing on this more robust body of evidence, we want and need to show that we have a strong informed industry opinion and voice.”

By communicating joint strategic messages that are common to the two Associations, he said that the new working group will work to “secure the future success and growth of our industry”

The new working group will have three representatives from each side on its working group. The group will aim to produce a draft document on anaerobic digestion policy which both Association will then consult its members on.

ENDS

EPA figures show less waste going to landfill and more to energy recovery

Date released: Nov 20 2014

There was a slight increase in municipal waste (from both households and commercial premises) treated at composting facilities in 2013.  This includes an 8% increase in brown bin waste (mainly food waste) accepted at composting and anaerobic digestion facilities.

http://www.epa.ie/newsandevents/news/name,55476,en.html#.VHCOgvmsVS1

The EPA published three waste bulletins that provide the latest trends on household waste;treatment of residual waste (typically black bin waste); composting and anaerobic digestion.

Compost facilities

EPA_Compost

Types of composted waste

The Health and Safety Authority have published a useful factsheet on large scale composting. The factsheet can be downloaded here.

Compost_Health and Safety Factsheet

National Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Conference

“New Directions & Implications”

8^th September, Killashee House Hotel, Naas, Kildare

The Annual Conference of Cré on 8^th September in the Killashee House Hotel is an event that anyone involved in the waste, composting and anaerobic digestion sectors should not miss.

The title of this year’s conference “New Direction & Implications” will inform delegates of

–      all the New Waste Legislation Changes;

–      the Export of Waste;

–      the Regional Waste Plans Process;

–      the Draft Bioenergy Strategy for Anaerobic Digestion;

–      Brown bin awareness raising initiatives; and

–      R&D Forum 

Programme for the conference can be downloaded Cre Conference 8 Sept 2014