Tuesday 17 February 2026

Future Biogas, the UK’s developer and operator of anaerobic digestion (AD) plants, has welcomed a 20+ strong delegation of influential stakeholders to its Moor Bioenergy site, representing a full spectrum of Ireland’s energy interests.

This fact-finding visit closely follows key Irish regulatory announcements such as the Large Energy User Action Plan (LEAP) and Large Energy Users Connection Policy (LEU).

The group included: the UK Embassy in Dublin; the Department of Agriculture, Food and The Marine; the Agriculture and Food Development Authority; Climate Action Regional Offices; local councils; engineering consultants; trade associations; utilities; potential offtakers from the manufacturing and food and beverage sectors; the UK’s Department for Energy and Net Zero; and the Europe-wide innovation agency, Climate KIC.

'First industrial-scale, unsubsidised biomethane plant'

Philipp Lukas, CEO of Future Biogas, said: “We are immensely proud that so many influential Irish organisations expressed such strong interest in our flagship Moor Bioenergy facility – the UK’s first industrial-scale, unsubsidised biomethane plant.

"The visit underlined growing demand from Ireland’s central and local government, utilities, industry and their collective advisors for an immediate drop-in substitute to fossil gas, both for baseload and dispatchable power. Biomethane is a clear and proven solution, whether sleeved in the short term through existing UK interconnectors or produced domestically in plants across Ireland.

"We look forward to continued discussions with this group to support the delivery of the Irish government’s step-change ambition for 5.7 TWh per year of biomethane supply by 2030 – serving energy intensive sectors such as food and beverage, packaging and glass, utilities and data centres.”

Moor Bioenergy, near Grantham in Lincolnshire, is the UK’s first unsubsidised bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) facility. It produces biomethane under an exclusive 15-year offtake agreement with AstraZeneca, and captures approximately 14,000 tonnes of biogenic CO₂ per year for use in food and beverage production. Combined with equivalent agreements with feedstock growers, this creates the commercial stability needed for the facility to operate without public subsidy.

Moor Bioenergy, near Grantham in Lincolnshire.

In Ireland this economic proposition is even stronger since, unlike the UK, grid-injected biomethane is treated as zero-emission under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Through its recent LEAP and CRU policy initiatives, Irish regulators’ expectations on renewable sourcing and system responsibility for large energy users are tightening – especially for data centres. However, many energy-intensive projects remain without connection certainty; with grid congestion and delays becoming a growing site-selection constraint. Biomethane can bypass these logjams, as an immediate drop-in substitute for fossil gas in turbines, gas engines, combined heat and power (CHP) plants or fuel cells.

Breda Maher, from Ireland’s Climate Action Regional Offices, added: “Future Biogas’s work at Moor Bioenergy is a powerful demonstration of how environmental ambition and economic opportunity can go hand in hand. Beyond generating green energy, its circular, locally rooted model is strengthening the rural economy and enhancing farm resilience; keeping value within the community and delivering benefits far beyond emissions reduction alone. Seeing it first‑hand has truly highlighted the breadth and potential of sustainable energy infrastructure.”

Fundamental to energy transition strategies

Looking at the wider European context, in Denmark 40% of gas supply already comes from domestic biomethane, with the country on course to reach 100% by 2030. While France is targeting 16% biomethane in its distribution network by 2030. The technology is not experimental; it’s becoming fundamental to energy transition strategies across Europe.

Denyse Julien, programme manager at Climate KIC, said: “Future Biogas’s Moor Bioenergy facility is an excellent demonstration of how innovation, community partnership and climate ambition can come together to deliver real decarbonisation solutions. It shows what’s possible when we take a truly holistic approach to developing and managing a bioenergy facility.

"As Ireland moves forward with its national biomethane strategy, there is enormous opportunity to adopt locally driven approaches to build circular, resilient economies that work for farmers, industry and the climate. As Climate KIC, we’re proud to facilitate this collaboration between the UK and Ireland, and advance biomethane as a cornerstone of the circular bioeconomy.”

Since it opened in February 2025, Moor Bioenergy has injected more than 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable biomethane into the gas grid, avoiding approximately 18,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO₂e) that would otherwise have come from fossil gas. This not only represents about 20% of total global gas consumption for AstraZeneca but also demonstrates genuine additionality: rather than purchasing existing renewable gas certificates, AstraZeneca’s partnership directly enabled new production capacity.

Key contributor to the local rural economy

Beyond energy generation, Moor Bioenergy has established itself as a key contributor to the local rural economy. The plant sources feedstock exclusively from regenerative energy crops, grown on a rotational basis within a 25km radius, under five-year contracts that give local farmers financial security and provide them with diversification opportunities. The residue or ‘digestate’ from the plant is returned to farmers as a soil-improver, replacing costly and carbon intensive traditional fertilisers which are typically manufactured or mined overseas.

Biomethane offers a proven, scalable, renewable gas that strengthens energy security, supports rural communities, and delivers verifiable decarbonisation for hard-to-abate industries.

Kara Owen, British ambassador to Ireland, concluded: “The British Embassy Dublin is proud to support closer collaboration between the UK and Ireland in advancing renewable energy solutions. The visit to Moor Bioenergy highlighted the innovation already underway and the opportunities that biomethane presents for both our countries. Continued partnership between governments, industry and communities will be essential as we work together toward a secure, sustainable, and low‑carbon future.”