Tipperary community comes out in force in protest of planned biogas plant

The Muintir na Tíre Hall in Littleton was full to the brim with concerned locals last Wednesday night for an information evening to get a better understanding of the “biogas plant” plans for a nearby quarry.

The Dublin-based Roadstone Limited submitted planning on January 13 for a large “anaerobic digestor”, which would be the primary function of the wider gas plant at Killough Quarry which sits between Holycross, Cashel and Thurles.

Locals were joined on Wednesday night by several experts on the matter to explain exactly why they believe putting this plant in Killough is a bad idea.

What is a biomethane plant?
Last year, the Irish Government published Ireland’s Biomethane Strategy. This stated that the Government is planning to replace up to 10% of the country’s fossil gas needs with locally produced biomethane gas by 2030.

The EU defines Biomethane gas as “the purified version of biogas, produced from the breakdown of organic matter” and calls it “one of the main renewable gases of the future and available today to help decarbonise the EU’s energy system”.

As part of the proposed Biomethane Strategy, the Government allocated €3m in State investment in budget 2023 to help reach a target of 150 to 200 “operational anaerobic digestion plants” by 2030, where biomethane will be produced.

Anaerobic digestion is defined by Teagasc as “a multi-step process whereby organic waste and residues are converted into biogas by a group of microorganisms in an anaerobic environment”.

This anaerobic digestor would be the main function of the gas plant that is planned for Killough Quarry.

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Immediate Red Flags
Despite the replacement of fossil fuels generally thought to be a positive step forward, when locals began to hear about the plans for their community, some immediate red flags were raised.

One of these worries is in relation to the fact that the Killough Quarry would still be in operation beside the plant.
A regular occurrence in quarries are “blasts” or explosions to help break the rock.

The primary function of the plant is of course to create gas and the potential for a gas leak at the plant paired with the possibility of a coinciding “blast” at the neighbouring quarry could turn what was initially meant to just loosen rock in the quarry into a far more dangerous explosion.

Locals emphasised this point saying “the children in Gaile playschool can tell you gas production and explosives are a bad combination”.

Secondly, serious concerns have been expressed about waste from the plant running off into local water sources.
Environmental scientist Áine McCann spoke to the audience in Littleton on Wednesday, outlining exactly why water contamination was a major concern for the Killough area in particular.

“This proposal is something that really does concern me,” she began.

“This area of Tipperary is similar to only a few others in the country in that it is a karst landscape.

“What that means is that it’s a limestone region where rainwater erodes the stone and the water runs directly into the ground instead of into streams or rivers.” She made an example of this by showing a visual of The Burren landscape in county Galway.

Áine went on to explain that in this karst region, something called an “aquifer” is created, whereby a body of water forms underneath the earth that can be as much as 200 metres below ground level.

She described that in a karst landscape there aren’t necessarily rivers or streams as you would usually find. Instead, springs and wells form throughout the region where water from below the surface rises. So, the water that is collected in the aquifer or that travels throughout the underground channels formed by the erosion of the limestone surface could potentially rise in a spring or well a number of miles away from the source of the water.

Áine expressed that it’s this exact process that has her most concerned. She explained that the slurry used by the biogas plant to create biomethane gas could run into the water and the contaminated water will then become part of the body of the water that many locals use as their primary water source as well as being a home to a variety of local wildlife.

Áine was mystified as to why Roadstone chose this site as the location for their plant as in her words “there’s no way they should be getting planning permission”.

She explained that she had read the planning permission documents and in her view many of the key elements that should have been part of this submission were missing. The examples she listed out included a “very poor environmental impact assessment”, “no water filtration system mentioned as part of their water audit” and “no consideration for explosives on site”.
Áine believed the reason that these areas may have been overlooked is because the “Government is in a state of panic about bringing down CO2 levels”.

This isn’t the first
Áine was joined by three other speakers on the night, each of whom had their own experience of dealing with similar issues.
Next to speak was pharmacist Brendan Quinn. His most impactful point was in saying “we need digestors, but is this the best thing for your community? On the site of a quarry where regular explosions occur?”

“Are they going to build a bigger fire station? Are they going to build a biohazard facility?

“These things have their place but I don’t think it’s here in this community.”

Moira Philbin, from Swinford Biogas Group in Mayo, followed Brendan. She told the story of how a similar plant was planned for the town of Swinford and that when leaflets began coming through doors in the local area, Moira and a number of other locals took it upon themselves to do further research.

A primary concern she expressed was that in Swinford, similarly to Killough, there was not adequate infrastructure for such a large facility to be built. “HGVs would regularly be travelling to and from the plant and our roads are too narrow,” she said.
Moira also explained that locals in Swinford were “worried this would decrease the value of houses”, and “increase insurance premiums” due to the concern for issues like gas leaks, pollution and potential explosions.

Finally, Carmel Kelleher from Macroom Biogas Concern Group in county Cork spoke last.

She referenced an article she had contributed to which was published in the Irish Examiner in December 2024. In that article her group’s concerns are referenced as “inadequate road infrastructure for HGVs, air quality and odour concerns, explosion risks, and water quality concerns”.

Speaking to the Tipperary Star on the matter, a spokesperson from Roadstone said: “The proposed anaerobic digester, located within Killough Quarry, represents a significant investment in the local community, with the creation of up to 20 full-time jobs.

“Working in partnership with local farmers, it will convert local agricultural feedstocks into renewable energy and byproducts, including bio-methane, green electricity and organic fertilisers. Increasing the production of renewable energy is a key element of the Government’s Climate Action Plan which includes a target of 5.7 TWh of biogenic methane production by 2030.

“With comprehensive environmental and ecological assessments submitted as part of the planning process, this project will be a sustainable, safe, and positive addition to the region.

“We are committed to working with local stakeholders and keeping the local community informed as this project progresses.”
It’s clear that the same worries are cropping up in areas where these biogas plants are being planned and if you go by environmental scientist Áine McCann’s research, then it is easy to empathise with those who believe the area of Killough to be particularly unsuitable for such a plant to be built.

A decision is due from Tipperary County Council on Roadstone Limited’s planning application by March 9, 2025. If you would like to find out more information or contribute to the Killough Biogas Concern Group, you can do so here: https://www.change.org/p/say-no-to-killough-hill-biomethane-plant-hazards.