Developing biomethane production in Northern Ireland call for evidence

Biomethane, a carbon neutral renewable gas which can be produced locally, could contribute to both decarbonising and growing the Northern Ireland economy. Research has indicated that, due to our large agricultural sector, we have significant biomethane potential. The challenge is to develop an effective policy framework which could unlock the biomethane economy and help the sector to become economically viable without long-term subsidies. 

This call for evidence is seeking information on a range of issues, including:

• the potential role for biomethane in the path to net zero energy
• ways of managing the feedstocks required to ensure a sustainable supply for biomethane production
• the economic viability of local biomethane production
• the treatment of costs related to connecting biomethane production sites to the gas network
• any other key issues.

Your responses will help to form a comprehensive evidence base for the development of biomethane policy.

Please note that, at the request of stakeholders, the deadline for response to the call for evidence has been extended by two weeks to 23 August 2024.

Workshops

The department held two stakeholder engagement workshops: