Service
Scheme to facilitate the use of meat and bonemeal as a renewable energy source in the cement industry
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
Meat and bonemeal (MBM) is a high-risk (category 1) by-product of the meat industry that is derived from specified risk material. SRM includes the parts of cattle, sheep and goats that are linked to the spread of dangerous transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), including mad cow disease. To protect farm incomes and the meat industry, it is essential that MBM is disposed of safely. In this light, most of the 60,000 tonnes of MBM that Ireland produces annually is exported to Great Britain for incineration.
On 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union. As a result, Great Britain is now categorised as a non-EU or third country. EU law (Article 43, Regulation (EC) No. 1069/2009) prohibits export of MBM to non-EU countries because of its high-risk and the need for traceability.
Ireland secured a short-term derogation in December 2020 from the EU Commission that allows the continued export of MBM to Great Britain until 31 December 2023. Beyond that date there is an urgent national requirement to have measures in place to dispose of MBM. No other EU member state can provide a viable outlet for the MBM due to economic and environmental constraints.
Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No. 1069/2009 sets out the permitted disposal options for MBM.
Category 1 material shall be:
(a) disposed of as waste by incineration:
(i) directly without prior processing; or
(ii) following processing, by pressure sterilisation if the competent authority so requires, and permanent marking of the resulting material;
(b) recovered or disposed of by co-incineration, if the Category 1 material is waste:
(i) directly without prior processing; or
(ii) following processing, by pressure sterilisation if the competent authority so requires, and permanent marking of the resulting material;
(c) in the case of Category 1 material other than material referred to in Article 8(a)(i) and (ii), disposed of by processing by pressure sterilisation, permanent marking of the resulting material and burial in an authorised landfill;
(d) in the case of Category 1 material referred to in Article 8(f), disposed of by burial in an authorised landfill;
(e) used as a fuel for combustion with or without prior processing; or
(f) used for the manufacture of derived products referred to in Articles 33, 34 and 36 and placed on the market in accordance with those Articles
In 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine invited expressions of interest for innovative business proposals for the disposal of MBM within Ireland. Each proposal was to include:
- an outline of the proposal
- the projected tonnage of MBM that could be processed per calendar year under the proposed project. The project should be of significant size/ambition to make a significant contribution
- evidence of reasonable costings and certainty of costing across project timescales
- realistic timescales and delivery plan for the project
- evidence of engagement with the rendering industry and preferably commitment of supply of MBM to the disposal facility
Based on an assessment of the feasibility of the expressions of interest, Ireland is developing methods to reduce the risk of TSEs that could devastate beef farming and the meat industry. One such solution to facilitate the use of meat and bonemeal as a renewable energy source in the cement industry, which is one of the largest energy users in the state. The implementation of this methodology will provide a long-term, sustainable option for MBM disposal within Ireland.
MBM will be used to heat cement kilns to produce the clinker from which cement is made. In the process, the non-combustible elements of the MBM become part of the cement clinker. This happens in parallel with the combustion process, which means that no hazardous ash is produced. All the MBM is disposed of and there is no residue for disposal to landfill.
This solution assists decarbonisation and results in significant CO₂ emission reductions because MBM replaces pet coke, one of the most emissions-intensive fuels. It also supports the circular economy by generating energy from a harmful agri by-product that would otherwise be exported.
In summary, the solution provides a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels in the cement industry that will help to safeguard farm incomes and the meat industry.
