Arigna Group

It was great to attend and speak at the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) conference last Thursday, October 10th in Royal Marine Hotel. I was speaking in my capacity as Chairman of Arigna Group, which has the largest operating biochar facility in Europe. The focus of my presentation was the challenges and opportunities of transitioning from coal to a sustainable fuel and carbon sequestration. Here’s a quick summary of some of the key takeaways from other speakers (first of two posts).   Sean Finan of IrBEA, pointed out that biofuels account for 58% of all renewables across the EU but get far less attention relative to solar and wind. He also emphasised the importance of enforcement of existing regulations with regard to source of feedstock. Minister Ossian Smyth said Ireland is at the bottom of the EU bioenergy league tables at 5% of total energy versus a European average of 25%. He also said the Renewable Heat Obligation regulations were delayed until the end of the year and revealed that the RHO requirement would be 10% phased in over three years. Tom Egan of Bord na Móna, gave a presentation on the impressive conversion of the power plant in Edenderry from burning peat to 100% biomass, 80% of which is sourced locally. David Kelly of Gas Networks Ireland, outlined the enormous potential of biomethane pointing out that currently 2/3 of all gas is used in the generation of electricity. There is a huge opportunity for biomethane to replace this gas. However, significant challenges remain in developing the biomethane industry and long-term operational supports are required to give certainty to producers. Gert-Jan Nabuurs of Wageningen University & Research, gave a detailed and informative presentation on the role of forests and land in sequestering carbon. The message was that land, and forests are one of the biggest but most uncertain carbon sinks and climate change is significantly impacting the ability of both to sequester carbon. Paddy Phelan of South East Energy Agency, gave an example of the difficulties experienced in bringing projects to fruition. He highlighted the tension between bringing local communities along the journey while getting things done. Karen Doyle of Gas Networks Ireland, pointed out that domestic gas use is a relatively small part of current gas demand, and that power generation and large companies are the main users. Her view is that large gas users will use green hydrogen but without a significant wind sector producing cheap energy, there will be no green hydrogen. John Walsh of ESB, said that their goal was to be net zero by 2040 and the single biggest challenge is to bring the society on the decarbonisation journey. #biochar #sustainability #renewableenergy #bioenergy #biogas #biomethane #biofuels #circulareconomy #bioeconomy

JUST 3 DAYS REMAINING SECURE YOUR TICKET TODAY! IRBEA 23RD NATIONAL BIOENERGY CONFERENCE ON THE THURSDAY 10TH OCTOBER 2024 Be at the forefront of Ireland’s  #bioenergy #biogas and #biomethane innovation by attending the IrBEA's 23rd National Bioenergy Conference in Dublin on Thursday 10th October 2024 at the Royal Marine Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. This is an important national event for the renewable energy sector, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and stakeholders from the bioenergy sectors including biomass, biogas and biomethane, biochar and biofuels. With an expected attendance of over two hundred people the conference provides the opportunity to network with the key players, technology providers, contractors in the various stages of the bioenergy supply chains. The conference will hear from an impressive line-up of national and international expert speakers who will provide professional perspectives on bioenergy policy, biogas/biomethane, regulation, forest resources, successful case studies, markets, and development opportunities. The conference will discuss how Europe has accelerated its commitment to sustainable bioenergy and how Ireland stands at a pivotal moment to harness the potential of bioenergy and close the gap on its European counterparts. 📌 For full conference agenda more detail on all the speakers go to: https://lnkd.in/ezNZFHsc 📌 Register: https://lnkd.in/dMpzME9B 📌 For exhibtion stands contact teresaobrien@irbea.org Hear from industry leaders representing... Bord na Móna Gas Networks Ireland ESB BALCAS Department of Energy Climate and Communications Irish Department of Agriculture (DAFM) Department of Transport Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Bioenergy Europe European Biogas Association Teagasc South East Energy Agency Renetech AB Arigna Group #sustainable #renewableenergy #innovation #bioenergy #biogas #biomethane #woodfuels #biofuels #biochar #circulareconomy #forestry #pharmaindustry #dairyprocessing #foodproduction

Very excited to be continuing Arigna Group's long association with local GAA clubs. Check out this ground breaking initiative between Kilcock GAA and Karen O'Hanlon of Probio Carbon to replace chemical fertilisers. Biochar manufactured in Arigna is the cornerstone of the sustainable fertilising plan. https://lnkd.in/eF6EwfSv

I'm presenting at the 1st International Conference of Thermochemical Conversion & Bioenergy in Lodz, Poland https://tccb.pl/ #arignafuels #Biochar #arignagroup

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak at the Energy Transition Summit, which takes place in Croke Park on the 26th of September 2024. I’ll be speaking in my capacity as Chairman of Arigna Group  which has the largest operating biochar facility in Europe and my topic will be “Carbon capture and storage: is carbon dioxide capture key to achieving the 2050 climate goals?” Learn more about the Summit here: https://energysummit.ie   The Energy Transition Summit will provide a forum for leaders in Ireland’s energy ecosystem to explore how we make our net-zero emissions future a reality. Join me, industry stakeholders, innovators, policy makers and investors for a day of presentation, case studies, panel discussions and deep dive break-out sessions on key topics. Tickets are available at: https://lnkd.in/e7dzzx9P   #EnergySummit24 #EnergyTransitionIreland #Biochar #CarbonCapture #ArignaGroup