The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, and the Northern Ireland Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir have today (September) announced €9 million in funding for two bioeconomy initiatives.
Funding of €4.5 million is being awarded to the Recycling Phosphates and Nitrogen from Agricultural Residues (REGENERATE) project led by Greenville Energy, based in Co. Tyrone.
The project will bring together a range of partners from across the island of Ireland and will develop and produce a sustainable and bio-based fertiliser product.
It is committed to creating economically and environmentally sustainable projects, which can enhance industrial competitiveness while contributing to carbon reduction targets.
A further €4.5 million is being awarded to the All Island Marine Bio-based Refineries for Circular Blue-Bioeconomy (AIMBIO), which is led by Teagasc.
Through collaboration and engagement with diverse stakeholders across the island of Ireland, the project will demonstrate the conversion of untapped resources from aquaculture, fisheries, and aquatic processors, into high-value ingredients for applications in the food, feed, bio-based chemicals, and cosmetics industries.
The Taoiseach said: “I am delighted to announce the award of funding for two new biorefinery demonstrator projects, as part of the Shared Island Initiative.
“Across the island, the challenges and opportunities we face across many sectors are comparable and connected, including on climate action and sustainability.”
“This new programme deepens our cooperation with the Northern Ireland Executive on a shared goal. I look forward to seeing the contribution that each project will make in supporting expansion and development of the bioeconomy across the island of Ireland in the years ahead,” he added.
Bioeconomy projects
Minister Heydon believes that the bioeconomy has the potential to offer new and exciting opportunities for Irish agriculture.
He said: “To unlock these opportunities, there is a need to scale up bioeconomy processes and technologies, to accelerate the commercialisation of bio-based products and solutions, and to create new value chains in which farmers, fishers and the agri-food industry can play a leading role.”
“I am pleased to announce these two new demonstration projects which will help to bridge the investment gap between research and commercialisation.”
“Both projects have the potential to serve as flagship demonstrator projects for Ireland’s growing bioeconomy and to provide a blueprint for similar activities to be replicated across the island for the benefit of rural and coastal communities,” Minister Heydon added.
Meanwhile, Minister Muir said the chosen projects will play a “pivotal role” in driving sustainable growth within the agriculture and marine sectors.
“This is an exciting and important step in addressing the climate challenges we face which will also reinforce our programme for government commitments,” Minister Muir said.
“I am delighted to announce this funding which will put into action bio-based innovation which can help drive economic, environmental, and social benefits.”
The projects will pilot and demonstrate the bioeconomy in action on a collaborative basis across the island of Ireland.
The funding is enabled by €7 million from the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Fund, and co-funding of €1.5 million from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), and £0.5 million from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.
