An integrated technoeconomic and environmental assessment of biomethane production via anaerobic digestion of food waste in Ireland: Updated insights under market volatility

Martínez-Arce, Andrés, Kargupta, Wriju, Domínguez, Carmen Girón, Odey, Emmanuel Alepu, McMahon, Helena, Huerta, Jorge Diaz, Zimmermann, Jesko, Bishop, George, Gaffey, James, Styles, David. (2025). An integrated technoeconomic and environmental assessment of biomethane production via anaerobic digestion of food waste in Ireland: Updated insights under market volatility. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 82, 104563. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2025.104563

Abstract

This study presents an integrated techno-economic and environmental assessment of a biomethane plant in Ireland, processing 50,000 tonnes of food waste annually via anaerobic digestion (AD), according to the National Biomethane Strategy. SuperPro Designer simulation was employed to quantify material and energy flows, supporting a techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA). The levelized cost of biomethane is estimated at 249 Euro/MWh, 2.9 times the 2019 benchmark, due to high capital (30.3 million Euro) and operational (4.2 million Euro/year) costs driven by inflationary effects caused by external events, such as the war in Ukraine. A biomethane selling price of 111.7 Euro/MWh (household gas price) and gate fees above 69 Euro/tonne are required for breakeven. Unfavourable market conditions would inevitably drive the need for policy supports such as renewable energy incentives or carbon credits to achieve profitability. The LCA shows a net climate benefit of 46 kgCO2eq/tonne. Still, under-estimated methane leaks could offset these gains and cause revenue losses over 100,000 Euro/year. Digestate circularity following the Nitrates Directive presents trade-offs depending on the impact category. This integrated analysis reinforces the economic challenges and environmental potential of biomethane production, offering key insights for advancing Ireland’s circular bioeconomy and renewable energy goals.

Funder

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland

Publisher

Elsevier

Rights

CC BY

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