Biogas plant in Northern Ireland wins sustainability award

A biogas plant close to the town of Ballymena in Northern Ireland has been recognised in the Sustainable Ireland Awards.

The Tully Quarry plant produces biogas from 100% chicken litter. Built by biogas technology specialists Xergi, the facility has won the award for best project in the energy production category.

Plant director Kevin Fitzduff, from the company Stream Bioenergy, accepted the Best Energy Generation Award at a ceremony in Belfast. Sustainable Ireland, a magazine dedicated to sustainable solutions on the Irish island, organises the awards.

Steam Bioenergy is responsible for the project development of the biogas plant supplied by Xergi.

"It has taken eight years to put the project together, and I'm very pleased that we finally got the plant up and running. We are producing energy now, and we are very pleased that we were nominated," said Fitzduff at the awards ceremony

The Tully Quarry plant is unique. It is generally very difficult to produce biogas from 100% chicken litter, the high nitrogen levels of the feedstock inhibiting the bacteria needed to produce biogas. According to a statement, Xergi developed technology to decrease nitrogen content in the biogas process. As well as boosting energy production, this technology leaves behind nitrogen that can be used as fertiliser.

"Right now, the plant is producing biogas that is used to produce electricity in a gas engine power plant. The biogas production and thus the electricity production will gradually be increased as the microbial culture develops in the coming weeks. We will then start to remove nitrogen from the biomass as we put the NiX plant into operation," explained Jørgen Ballermann, Xergi CEO.