This week, together with Government colleagues, I announced two awards of €5 million each from the first of two Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative Calls, as part of the EU Just Transition Fund which is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union, and administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The two awards will support Bioeconomy piloting and demonstration projects in the EU Just Transition Fund territory.
They will be located at Mount Lucas in Co. Offaly and at the National Bioeconomy Campus, Lisheen in Thurles Co. Tipperary.
The projects will result in the development of innovation hubs to create new products as an alternative to fossil based production, demonstrating the bioeconomy in action in both Co. Tipperary and Co. Offaly.
Funding of €5 million is being awarded to ‘The Lisheen Bioeconomy Scaleup Initiative (BioScaleUp)’. Led by Tipperary County Council, it will demonstrate six innovative technologies at the national pilot biorefinery facility at the National Bioeconomy Campus, Lisheen Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
A further €5 million is being awarded to ‘The Mount Lucas Circular Bioeconomy Aquaculture Initiative (Circular IMTA)’, which is led by the Technological University of Shannon. It will demonstrate the production of new feeds and food ingredients from cultivated-duckweed and macroalgae at scale, using agri-food waste streams produced at a circular peatland integrated aquaculture site at Mount Lucas in Co. Offaly.
Many locals will know that the Mount Lucas site has been a duckweed-based fish farm for several years. I have had the privilege of touring the site with representatives from TUS and the team lead, Professor Neil Rowan, talked me through the new and numerous possibilities for scaling the production of low carbon food such as rainbow trout or perch and animal feedstuff while also developing innovative products. A fresh look at tried and tested processes.
The peatland site functions in a circular way and there is no discharge arising from the process, showcasing how zero waste, zero pollution and climate action principles can support the region. A key to this is job creation and I am very heartened by the wide collaboration and interest already evident.
Both the Offaly and Tipperary projects will include significant training and upskilling opportunities in both facilities across a range of scientific, technical, and engineering, facilitation, business and finance areas related to biorefinery and biomanufacturing.
I am hugely excited by the opportunities that the bioeconomy offers rural areas - both the economic benefits and the potential for job creation, as well as the immense potential for the bioeconomy to play an important role in tackling the climate crisis.
The science behind these projects is cutting edge, but the motivation is simple. We need new, innovative solutions to longstanding problems. Having seen first-hand the aquaculture initiative at Mount Lucas, I believe these demonstrator projects will be key catalysts for the success of the Irish bioeconomy sector.
Read the full press release on gov.ie