Glenmore Farming Group: Driving renewable energy with biomethane

Nestled in Ballybofey, Donegal, in Ireland, Glenmore Farming Group is pioneering sustainable agriculture through its renewable energy arm, Connective Energy.

A Commitment to Biomethane Production

Glenmore Estate is a family-owned farming, forestry and renewable energy business, comprised of a large dairy and beef herd along with a flock of Lanark sheep.

At the heart of Glenmore Farming Group’s operations are several biogas plants that transform the farming estate's organic by-products - like food and animal waste - into biomethane, green CO₂, and rich organic bio-fertilizer.

Glenmore's operations are rooted in the principles of sustainability and environmental stewardship, with a particular focus on biomethane production.

90,000 tons

of organic waste processed

20,000 tons

of CO2 emissions reductions

10,000 MWh

of renewable electricity generated - enough to power 2,500 homes

...every year

Contributing to decarbonisation and Irish energy security

Biomethane (also known as renewable natural gas or RNG) is one of the few carbon-negative fuels. Meaning that it actively removes more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than it emits.
Importantly, biomethane is molecularly identical to natural gas. It can be injected into national gas grids, used directly in industrial applications or as vehicle fuel - providing one of the most sustainable energy sources with minimal transition costs.
Glenmore and Connective Energy employ several methods to ensure that the biomethane it produces is utilized effectively, including for lowering its own operating costs, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and contributing to Irish energy security.
The biomethane produced from Glenmore Estate is transported via road in specially designed modules, ensuring that it is economically and efficiently delivered to various consumption sites.

Road Transport

One of those key end consumers of this biomethane is transportation itself. Ireland's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and the fuel savings associated with biomethane ensure that a significant portion of the biomethane produced is being used as a low-carbon transport fuel for heavy-duty trucks and buses.

Pipeline Injection

The biomethane is also injected directly into the national gas grid, successfully decarbonizing it - and the homes and businesses it powers - without any changes needed to the existing natural gas ecosystem.

Local Utilization:

At Glenmore Estate, biomethane is used on-site for generating electricity and heat. This allows Glenmore to produce the energy that powers its own operations and reduces the need for external energy to be bought and transported in.

Glenmore Farming Group and Hexagon Agility, a decade long partnership distributing biomethane

When strategizing on how to best utilize their new energy in 2016, Glenmore Farming Group selected Hexagon Agility as their supplier-of-choice for biomethane transportation.

“With the nearest grid injection hundreds of kilometers from our biomethane plant, Hexagon Agility's Mobile Pipeline® has been a key enabler. Hexagon’s modules are particularly advantageous because they offer high capacity and are significantly lighter than any other product on the market. This reduces the number of trips needed, making the process more cost-effective and environmentally friendly."

Karol McElhinney

,  

CEO, Glenmore Farming Group and Connective Energy

Following the success of their current model, Glenmore Farming Group have planned expansions underway to increase their biomethane production capacity ever further.

About Mobile Pipeline®

Hexagon Agility’s Mobile Pipeline® solutions use lightweight Type 4 composite cylinders and are the industry benchmark in gas transportation.

Hexagon Agility’s modules offer the most storage capacity of any composite cylinders on the market, which is crucial to minimizing the number of trips and the amount of mileage to transport biomethane. With biomethane production sites largely operating in rural and off-grid areas, Mobile Pipeline® is the key to unlocking this vital renewable energy source.

“We communicated with several existing users of Mobile Pipeline® modules, who shared their positive experiences of working with Hexagon Agility and using their equipment before making our decision. We were impressed by Hexagon Agility’s excellent customer service and technical knowledge throughout the procurement process. Now, a decade into the relationship, it has been an excellent partnership!”

Karol McElhinney

,  

CEO, Glenmore Farming Group and Connective Energy