Plans officially lodged for multi-million euro biomethane plant in South Kildare

Plans have officially been lodged for the construction of a biomethane plant in South Kildare by English-based energy company Cycle0 (stylised as CycleØ).

The announcement follows after the company said last year that it would invest €100 million in order to construct four new innovative biomethane plants in Ireland.

These proposed plants would be located in Kildare, Cavan, Galway and Limerick, according to CycleØ. However, the proposed development in Limerick was refused planning permission back in May.

The Irish Independent recently noted that, if approved, these plants could generate a total of 160 gigawatts per hour of biomethane annually between the four of them.

This is enough energy to heat more than 12,000 Irish homes for a year.

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However, in relation to the proposed development in Kildare, there has been opposition from locals — concerns range from the impact on the biodiversity of the area to an increase in traffic congestion.

This led to a spokesperson for the CycleØ Group to respond to a series of questions submitted by the radio station KFM back in February. These questions highlighted concerns surrounding the Kildare project.

PLANNING APPLICATION

According to the lengthy planning permission application currently with Kildare County Council (KCC) shows that CycleØ IE Limited intends to construct the plant at Ballyvass in Castledermot.

Specifically, the company intends to construct "an anaerobic digestion facility to produce renewable biomethane, CO2 (which will be captured), and a bio-based fertiliser from organic material".

The total gross floor area of the proposed development (including internal plant areas and ancillary structures) will be circa 6,007 square metres.

The proposed development includes two primary digesters, each approximately 9.1 metres high, along with a digestate storage tank reaching 11.3m.

A pump house with a floor area of 362 sqm and two post-digester tanks (9.1m high) are also being planned, along with a safety flare standing 11.3m high in the site’s southeastern section.

The southern section would house two prepits, a pasteurisation buffer tank, and a pasteurisation unit, all around 4.2m to 4.3m in height.

A digestate treatment and feedstock reception building with odour abatement system would be built in the southwest, measuring 2,797 sqm in floor area and up to 16.2m in height at the odour abatement stack.

A two-storey ancillary administration building (327 sqm, 11m high) would be located near the site entrance, alongside improvements to the local road and access junction.

Other planned works include: roofed silage clamps (2,424 sqm), a fuel storage tank, a combined heat and power unit, biogas and backup boilers, a gas treatment unit, grid injection unit, a carbon dioxide liquefactor, propane tank compound, and an ESB substation.

In addition, the company is also seeking permission for the following: parking spaces, bicycle storage, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, wastewater treatment equipment, drainage, landscaping, lighting, and other ancillary works.

The date received on the application is listed as August 12 last, while the submission-by and due dates are listed as September 15, 2025 and October 6, 2025 respectively.

In related news, the Ballyvass Biogas Action Group set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe last month to oppose the project.

The fundraiser is titled 'Oppose large Biomethane plant at Ballyvass, Castledermot' and has a €10,000 goal.

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