Riverview Farm implements biogas system for energy autonomy

Brendan Gildea, an organic farmer in County Galway, Ireland, has implemented a 450 m³ anaerobic digester at Riverview Farm to convert livestock manure and crop residues into renewable energy.

The system, part of an EIP-AGRI Operational Group project aimed at spreading small-scale biogas plants among Irish farms, integrates into existing structures without reducing grazing or cultivation areas. The facility produces electricity and heat, covering nearly all the farm's electrical needs, including the operation of three milking robots.

Financial and environmental benefits include estimated annual energy savings of up to 30,000 euros and a reduction in emissions of approximately 202 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year. The process utilizes only on-site substrates, such as bovine slurry and manure, to generate biogas.