IN recent months, the management of domestic waste in Ireland has been under the spotlight, especially in relation to the rules about pay-by-weight. But commercial businesses operating in every industry have to adhere to strict regulations about how their waste is managed.

The equine industry in Ireland, with its varied range of businesses including horse breeders and trainers, equestrian centres, studs, racecourses and horse sales organisations, generates its own unique waste stream and has varied options for its management, such as composting and fertilising. But is there another, more valuable, use for this waste stream?

The Gas Innovation Group, run by Gas Networks Ireland, in conjunction with the Commission for Energy Regulation, is funding an initial desktop study, into the potential for using equine and stable waste, on a cluster basis, as feedstock for biogas production, a form of renewable energy.

Dravtec Ireland, a company with decades of experience in the recycling and waste-to-energy sectors, has been commissioned to conduct the study, with assistance from research and report writing specialist Maeve Thornberry & Associates.

VIABILITY

The primary output is to determine if equine and stable waste can become a viable feed-stock for the production of a secure supply of low-carbon biogas. It is hoped to identify a sustainable management solution for equine waste for the Irish horse industry, while simultaneously producing biogas for injection into the main gas infrastructure.

While much research has been conducted into the suitability of equine waste as a feedstock, the commercial case for developing a business to produce energy from this waste source does not appear to have been examined in any depth.

The collection of data regarding the current equine and stable waste volumes and management practices of all actors in the Irish equine industry will be vital to the project’s success.

Thanks to Linda Young of AIRE, the project has got off to a flying start and it is hoped that the project team will meet many more equine business owners and operators in the coming weeks. Potential cluster areas identified include counties Kildare, Meath, Dublin, Tipperary and Cork.

If you would like to learn more about the project please email maeve@maevethornberry.ie.