Renewable Gas
The key to Ireland’s Low Carbon Economy
1

Facilitating Renewable Gas
Ian Kilgallon – Innovation & Business Development Manager
Ian.Kilgallon@gasnetworks.ie +353-21-4534000
15th March 2016

Contents
Why Renewable Gas?
Renewable Gas in Industry & Ireland’s Policies
Benefits of Renewable Gas
Sources of Renewable Gas
Renewable Gas Forum Ireland
First Industrial Renewable Gas Project

• Gas Networks Ireland owns, operates, develops
and maintains the natural gas network in Ireland.
• World-class Modern Gas Network
• Over 13,500Km:
• 2,422Km Transmission Network
• 11,288Km Distribution Network
• More than 675,000 gas consumers
• 650,000 homes
• 25,000 businesses
• Over 160 population centres
• 19 counties
Gas Networks Ireland

• Network with Abundant Capacity
• Secure and Reliable
• Potential for over 50 injection points for
renewable gas
• Can deliver the same strong clean product, but
now it can be Green also.
Network potential for large industry sector

Why Renewable Gas?
Renewable Gas will enable Industry in Ireland to achieve our decarbonisation
targets, without the need to re-invest in alternative infrastructure.
Making renewable gas available to large energy users will play a vital role in
helping Ireland meet its renewable heat (RES-H) targets of 12% by 2020.

Industry Commitments

• Challenge for Energy Managers in Industry
‒ Security of Supply
‒ Reliability
‒ Efficiency
‒ Operating Costs
‒ Infrastructure Investment
‒ Cost competitiveness
‒ Competitiveness with EU sister
facilities
‒ Risk
‒ Air Quality
‒ Scale
Ireland’s Commitments

Benefits of Renewable Gas
Requires NO CHANGE to existing natural gas equipment
Compatible with Natural Gas Network
Supporting renewable heat target (RES-H)
Help to meet transport emission target (RES-T)
Address our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission crisis
Diversification of family farm incomes

Purification
~80-99%
Methane
CH4
~1-19%
Alkane
Gases
~1-5%
Neutral
Gases
NATURAL GAS
30%-50%
CO2
50%-70%
Methane
CH4
-2% Trace
Gases &
Water
RAW BIOGAS
98%
Methane
CH4
~1% CO2 ~1% Trace
Gases
RENEWABLE GAS
Renewable Gas Compatibility
~60-90%
Methane
CH4~1-19%
Alkane
Gases
~5-20%
Impurities
& HC
RAW FOSSIL GAS

Sources of Renewable Gas
• Renewable gas can be produced by anaerobic digestion
(AD), gasification and power to gas (P2G) technologies
• Available feedstock for anaerobic digestion
‒ Organic waste and residues
‒ Agricultural slurries
‒ Additional grass (in excess of livestock requirements)
• Emerging sources of renewable gas such as
‒ Power to gas (H2 produced from curtailed electricity
and catalytic/biological methanation)
‒ Gasification of wood biomass with catalytic/biological
methanation
‒ It is estimated that these resources could add
approximately 10,000 GWh/annum of renewable gas
Assessed potential renewable gas sources in Ireland
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
Potential Renewable Gas
Resource
Current natural gas
demand
Grass
Agricultural Manure
Natural Gas demand
Organic Waste
Emerging Sources

Source:
UCC ERI, MaREI, Teagasc. Funded by SFI & GNI
Researchers: Richard O’Shea, Prof’ Jerry Murphy
Cattle Manure
• GIS mapping of each electoral divisions in the country (3440 EDs)
• Collectable cattle slurry based on CSO and Teagasc data.
• Wet manure as a feedstock for AD has additional benefits of
avoided GHG emissions from the alternative manure
management.
Analysis of Manure Feedstock

Source:
UCC ERI, MaREI, Teagasc. Funded by SFI & GNI
Researchers: Richard O’Shea, Prof’ Jerry Murphy
• In excess of Harvest 2020 fodder demand
• Teagasc study: “How much grassland biomass is available in
Ireland in excess of livestock requirements?” by McEniry et
al. 2013
• Up to 12.2 million tonnes of dry matter could be achieved even
when allowing for “Food Harvest 2020” targets ~ 54,800
GWh/annum renewable gas.
Analysis of Grass Feedstock

• Solid - wood biomass
‒ “Transport distances, cultivation inputs and process utilities
supply are the parameters which have the strongest
influence on the final result. Furthermore, the GHG savings
presented (especially the ones relative to power
production) are subject to the choice of final energy
conversion efficiency. A higher conversion efficiency, which
for example can be achieved in co-firing application in
existing power plants, would allow the majority of
pathways to exceed 70% GHG savings.”
• Gaseous – biogas / biomethane
‒ Biogas and biomethane produced from wet manure
benefits greatly from the emission credits due to avoided
GHG emissions from the alternative manure management.
Consequently, GHG savings of above 100% are possible
in many plant configurations.
‒ Co-digestion – optimise gas production while
maximising carbon savings
Sustainability & Carbon Balance

GHG savings from fuel sources
• AD of cattle manure avoids methane and nitrous oxide
emissions from manure storage ~12% of agricultural
GHG emissions in Ireland
• Additional carbon credits come from improved manure
management resulting in GHG savings (Total GHG
savings up to 239% c.f. natural gas)
• Multiple options to achieve 100% GHG savings by co-
digestion with manure e.g.
‒ 100% GHG savings from 58% natural gas and
42% manure derived renewable gas
Note: GHG emissions taken from EU JRC Science and Policy report on
“Solid and gaseous bioenergy pathways: input values and GHG
emissions”.
Available at:
http://iet.jrc.ec.europa.eu/bf-ca/sites/bf-
ca/files/files/documents/eur26696_online_final_v3.pdf
-120
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
gCO2/MJ
GHG Emissions from fuel sources
Manure Biowaste Maize whole plant Stemwood pellets Natural Gas

Renewable Gas Supply Chain

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• Mature and proven technologies – over 17,000
anaerobic digester have been built in EEA (2014)
• Transitioning from small remote electricity
generation to larger grid injection facilities
• State policies/prioritisation and incentives
transitioning to renewable gas for heat and CHP
consuming industries.
Renewable Gas in Europe

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Ireland is currently one of the few countries in EEA with no support mechanisms for renewable gas
Current Consultations and Schedule:
Renewable Energy Policy in Ireland
Draft Bioenergy
Plan (2014)
Phase 1 of 3
consultations on a
Renewable Heat
Incentive (RHI) and
Renewable
Electricity Supports
(RES)
Recommendations
to the Government
in Q4 2016
Support
measures are
likely to require
State Aid approval
of the EC which
may take 6
months
Supports to be
implemented
mid-late 2017
(estimate)
“The RHI is focused on the large industrial non-emissions
trading scheme(ETS) sector.” (DCENR, 2015)

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“Exporting a Resource Opportunity - Measures to Maximize Resource Efficiency and Jobs in Ireland”
‒ Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government
‒ Ireland pays to export over 60% of municipal waste, where it is converted to energy abroad
Renewable Energy Policy in Ireland

• Match Demand with Supply
‒ Demand driven (pull, not push).
• Facilitate adoption of common standards and controls.
• Independent accreditation and Green Gas Certification
• Contact Details:
‒ Phone: 063 21938 or 087 260646
‒ Email: info@renewablegasforum.com
‒ Website: www.renewablegasforum.com
Renewable Gas Forum Ireland (RGFI)
“Promote and Support
development across all the
Industry Sector”

TCBB Resource
Renewable Gas Forum Ireland (RGFI)
RGFI Board
Producer Sector Delivery Sector Customer Sector
Renewable Gas
Producer
Renewable Gas
Transporter
Heat & Power
Shipper/Supplier Transport
Academic & Technology Centres (e.g. UCC, TCBB Resource)
Represent the interest of the Industry by Consensus across all sectors.

Consumer
Irish Gas Market – Secure & Competitive
Gas
Transporter
Gas
Shipper/Supplier
Network Entry
Agreements
Gas Purchase
Agreement
Gas Code of Operations
Entry/Exit Arrangements
Gas Producer

Irish Gas Market – Secure & Competitive
Consumer
Gas
Transporter
Gas
Shipper/Supplier
Network Entry
Agreements
Gas Code of Operations
Entry/Exit Arrangements
Gas Producer
Gas Purchase
Agreement
Renewable Gas
Producer
Green Certification

Ireland’s First Renewable Gas Project
• Project participants include;
‒ Gas Networks Ireland
‒ Ormonde Organics
‒ Diageo
‒ Renewable Gas Forum Ireland
• Ireland’s first industrial scale renewable gas injection facility
‒ Commissioning target; Q4 2016
• Demonstrate matching supply with demand from industry
• Facilitate the development of market arrangements, services,
standards and policies

Renewable Gas – Next Steps
Engage with SEAI
Industrial thermal
demand and CHP
Energy Show, 6th &
7th April, RDS.
Participate in
consultation
processes with Dept.
of Energy (DCENR)
and Dept. of
Environment
(DECLG)
Engage with
Renewable Gas
Forum Ireland
Demand & Supply
Standards
Request further
information from
Gas Networks
Ireland
Visit our stand at the
Energy Show, 6th &
7th April, RDS
Engage with Dept. of
Jobs and Enterprise
(DJEI)