Roadstone is seeking planning permission to build and operate a bio-renewables production facility incorporating anaerobic digestion at Killough Quarry, located between Holycross and the Horse and Jockey. The planning notice was published in the Irish Daily star on January 13th and a decision from Tipperary County Council Planning office is due by March 9th. The public can make submissions until February 16th – the planning reference number is 2560019.
Roadstone says the Killough bio-renewables project is the first of a number of such sustainability projects to be initiated by the company to reduce Carbon Footprint and greenhouse gas emissions while also addressing the changeover to regenerative agriculture utilising organic fertilisers to increase carbon sequestration.
The proposed site area is 6.3 hectares at the Killough Quarry site which remains in operation. Buildings with a total floor size of 16,821m² will be constructed along with extensive ancillary infrastructure. The facility will convert feedstocks to produce bio-methane (gas), compressed bio-methane (bio-CNG), carbon dioxide (CO2), electricity (green), organic fertilisers (pelleted) and water, with solar energy generation also part of the development. Approximately 80 gigawatts of energy would be produced on site, with between 5-6gw used at Killough and the rest exported to other plants throughout the country. The adjacent Roadstone Killough Quarry plant will also utilise bio-methane and water. Pelletised fertiliser will be available for supply to local agriculture and traders off-site. CNG and CO2 will be pressurised and stored for ongoing draw-off by tankers to points of re-use off-site.
An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) are included in the planning application. Roadstone will also apply for an EPA-Industrial Emissions Directive (IE) licence to facilitate the operation of the proposed development. The facility would employ 15 to 20 people once operational and would operate 24/7 with no deliveries in or out on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Documents displayed on the planning portal show that the Council suggested during a pre-planning meeting that the development should be re-considered with the National Bioeconomy Campus at Lisheen considered to be a more appropriate site and also sought data about what roads would be used to deliver and remove material from the facility.