The drinks industry is difficult to decarbonize, but Irish breweries and distilleries are using a centuries-old process to solve modern day problems. Anaerobic digestion takes organic waste—like the waste produced when brewing beer—and puts it into a tank that is absent of oxygen. As the material decomposes, it creates several different outputs; one of the most valuable is biogas.
A growing number of Irish breweries and distilleries are reducing their reliance on natural gas by turning to biogas. In this project, journalist Niamh McAuliffe, a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States, documents the shift to biogas in the drinks industry in Ireland while it is in its infancy.
