1. Who We Are

The Biomethane for Carbon and Community (BCC) Project is a collaboration led by the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) with partners including Tipperary County Council, the Irish Bioeconomy Foundation and the Tipperary Energy Agency. This website (the “Site”) provides independent information on biomethane for the public in Ireland and the wider EU.

We are committed to protecting your personal data and processing it fairly, lawfully and transparently in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (Ireland).

2. Contact Details

Data Controller: BCC Project (TUS and partners)

Contact for privacy queries and data subject rights: bdo@tus.ie

If you are unsure who the correct controller is for a specific processing activity, contact us and we will direct your request appropriately within the partnership.

3. Personal Data We Collect

3.1 Data you provide

• Identity and contact details (e.g., name, email, phone, organisation/farm details) submitted via forms such as “Expression of Interest” or general contact forms.
• Content of messages or documents you upload or send to us.
• Preferences and consents (e.g., for communications, cookies).

3.2 Data collected automatically

• Technical data: IP address, device and browser type/version, operating system, language settings.
• Usage data: pages viewed, time on page, referring/exit pages, interaction events collected via web analytics.
• Cookies and similar technologies (see the Cookie section).

3.3 Special category data

We do not intentionally collect special category data (e.g., health, political opinions). Please avoid submitting such information. If it is essential for a specific project interaction, we will request it explicitly and explain the legal basis.

4. Purposes and Legal Bases

We process personal data for the purposes and under the legal bases below:

• Information services and engagement (providing project information, replying to queries, stakeholder engagement): legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) and, where applicable, consent (Art. 6(1)(a)).
• Expressions of interest and forms (collecting details from farmers, communities, stakeholders): consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) and/or legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)).
• Funding compliance and reporting (EU Just Transition Fund visibility and audits): legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) and/or public interest (Art. 6(1)(e)), as applicable.
• Website security and performance (fraud prevention, diagnostics): legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)).
• Analytics (to improve content and usability): consent for non-essential cookies/analytics; legitimate interests for aggregated, strictly necessary metrics.

5. Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your data with:

• Project partners (TUS, Tipperary County Council, Irish Bioeconomy Foundation, Tipperary Energy Agency) to deliver the project.
• Funding and oversight bodies (e.g., Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, Pobal, European Commission) to meet programme requirements.
• Trusted service providers (hosting, email, analytics) under written contracts and confidentiality obligations.

We do not sell your personal data.

6. International Transfers

We aim to store and process data within the EEA. If a service provider transfers data outside the EEA, we use appropriate safeguards (e.g., EU Standard Contractual Clauses and risk assessments) to protect your information.

7. Retention

• Contact and form data: retained for the duration necessary to respond and for programme compliance and audit obligations.
• Analytics data: kept in aggregated or pseudonymised form; typical retention up to 26 months unless a longer period is objectively required.
• Records necessary to demonstrate EU funding visibility and communications compliance may be retained in line with programme rules.

8. Your Rights

• Access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection.
• Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
• Lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (Ireland).

To exercise your rights, email bdo@tus.ie. We may request information to verify your identity and will respond within statutory timelines.

9. Security

We implement technical and organisational measures appropriate to the risk, including encryption in transit, access controls, least-privilege permissions, staff awareness, regular updates, and secure hosting.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use essential cookies for basic functionality and, with your consent, analytics cookies to understand how our Site is used. You can manage preferences via our cookie banner at any time. For details see our Cookie Policy (if provided) or contact us.

11. Third-Party Links

Our Site may link to external websites. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices. Review their privacy policies before providing personal data.

12. Children’s Data

This Site is not intended for children under 16. If you believe a child has provided data, contact us to remove it.

13. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect legal or operational changes. We will post the updated version with a revised “Last updated” date.