We hear a lot about how solar and wind energy are viable renewable sources of energy in this country but the potential of the bioeconomy as another source of renewable energy and emissions reduction is not often part of the public discourse.
One of the reasons why this potentially valuable area of research and innovation is not to the fore of sustainability conversations is that the bioeconomy means different things to different people and the term itself can seem ill-defined.
For some people, the bioeconomy is all about using food and agricultural waste to produce a renewable gas – biogas or biomethane – and bio-fertilisers, known as digestate, in large or small regional anaerobic digesters.
For others, the bioeconomy is more about creating new, higher-value products from that biological waste – products such as protein-rich food supplements, ingredients for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries as well as animal feed as a substitute for imported soy.
RM Block
The so-called biorefineries that can make these higher-value products also produce residues that are fed into anaerobic digesters to create renewable gas and bio-fertilisers.
But for yet another group, the bioeconomy encompasses regenerative agriculture practices such as replacing perennial ryegrass (the most common grass grown for feeding livestock) with multi-species swards (a mix of grasses, herbs, clover and other plants) to reduce the need for chemical fertilisers on grassland. Or the creation of new animal feeds from novel plants such as duckweed on former industrial peatland sites.
Of course, the bioeconomy can embrace all these practices depending on the type of agriculture, the quantities of food and agricultural waste and the availability of technologies to separate out proteins for use in food and animal feed while diverting residues towards renewable energy and bio-fertiliser production.
If we want to fully embrace sustainability, we’ll have to have anaerobic digesters in the mix
— Stephen Nolan, technical lead for Bia Energy
The Irish Bioeconomy Foundation, set up in 2017, defines the bioeconomy as the part of the economy that uses renewable resources from agriculture, forestry and the marine to produce food, feed, materials and energy while reducing waste to support a sustainable and climate-neutral society.
Globally, it is widely acknowledged that producing biogas through anaerobic digestion addresses multiple sustainability issues at the same time – renewable energy production, waste management, climate-change mitigation (by reducing emissions from agricultural waste such as slurry) and sustainable agriculture through application of bio-fertilisers rather than chemically produced fertilisers.
Countries such as China, Germany, France, Brazil and Denmark have been leading the field in producing renewable gas from food and agricultural waste. Although the 2024 Irish biomethane strategy aims to have 10 per cent biomethane fed into the gas grid by 2030, many believe this is an unrealistic target.
“There have been limited Government supports to build anaerobic digesters in Ireland to date,” says Stephen Nolan, technical lead for Bia Energy, which has commercial anaerobic digesters in Dublin and Kildare.
“Planning is difficult, as people often don’t want them close by but if we want to fully embrace sustainability, we’ll have to have anaerobic digesters in the mix,”
Ten commercial anaerobic digesters are in operation in the Republic, supplying less than 1 per cent of renewable gas into the grid.
By comparison, about 40 per cent of Denmark’s gas consumption is from renewable sources and that country aims to get 100 per cent of its gas from renewable sources by 2035. Northern Ireland has more than 150 small anaerobic digesters using agricultural waste mainly to generate electricity and heat for local use.
However, many of those working in the bioeconomy sector here believe there is a new impetus with Government aid to build commercial anaerobic digesters. And a new Government biomethane capital grants payment was announced in mid-July.
“After lots of discussion, plans and strategies, we are starting to see some concrete developments in biogas here,” says Vincent O’Flaherty, professor of microbiology at the University of Galway.
He cites Nephin Renewable Gas and Bia Energy as two significant players in the Irish market. And Stream Bioenergy in Little Island, Cork – the largest commercial anaerobic digester using food and gardening waste – is expected to connect to the national gas network in 2027.
“Anaerobic digesters are well established in other European countries. Big operators will be needed to make grid connections to Gas Networks Ireland but it is extremely expensive and not economically viable for small on-farm anaerobic digesters to make grid connections,” O’Flaherty says.
The renewable heat obligation legislation, which is at Bill stage, will be an important step. Once enacted, it will oblige fossil fuel suppliers to supply a proportion of their energy from renewable sources.
O’Flaherty suggests that while the biomethane strategy addresses the issue of decarbonising the natural gas grid, the agricultural sector needs a wider context to get on board.
“There has been a hiatus in anaerobic digesters in Ireland for years because of the lack of clarity,” O’Flaherty says.
“It can’t be considered a stand-alone for agriculture. You have to consider the value in replacing imported fertilisers and improving water quality on farms, and dairy farmers reducing their scope-three emissions.”
“Scope-three” emissions are those generated upstream through the purchase of animal feed, fertilisers and fuel rather than through direct on-farm activities.
Alongside this focus on the production of renewable gas from food and agricultural waste is a rich strand of research exploring the production of higher value ingredients in bio-refineries before diverting the waste for renewable gas and bio-fertilisers.
Enterprise Ireland has funded a pilot green biorefinery at the Kerry campus of Munster Technological University in Tralee where researchers are using grass to develop high-protein food supplements, animal feeds and animal feed supplements.
Another biorefinery is integrated into an anaerobic digester at Farm Zero C in Shinagh near Bandon in Co Cork, where research is being conducted into how to create a climate-neutral, economically viable dairy farm.
And another larger demonstrator biorefinery opened at the National Bioeconomy campus in Lisheen, Co Tipperary, in June.
“I’ve been highlighting for a decade that bioenergy is not the sole focus of the bioeconomy,” says Kevin O’Connor, professor of biomolecular and biomedical sciences at University College Dublin and director of BiOrbic, the National Research Centre for the Bioeconomy.
With core funding from Research Ireland, BiOrbic is the conduit for an impressive range of research into the bioeconomy across 12 universities in Ireland. More than 200 researchers are investigating the potential to make everything from bioplastics from food processing waste to bio-ingredients for the chemical industry and human-grade protein from grass.
Developing industry pathways for many of these research projects will be the game-changer determining whether Ireland can fully embrace its potential in the bioeconomy. Success or failure will also depend on whether Government policy supports these innovations and proof of concept is achieved at scale.
“2026 is a pivotal year for Ireland’s bioeconomy. The launch of the first national bioeconomy strategy during Ireland’s presidency of the EU marks an important milestone,” says Derek O’Brien, executive director of BiOrbic. Ireland will also host the Global Bioeconomy Summit in October, 2026.
“One of the key benefits of the bioeconomy is that it offers Irish companies new high-value commercial opportunities for domestic and export markets using indigenous resources primarily in rural communities, at a time where international markets are increasingly volatile,” O’Brien says.
Ultimately, the aim of the bioeconomy is to replace fossil-based energy and fossil-based products at scale. “All our everyday commodities from fuel for cars to plastics to fibre, foams and clothing will have to become bio-based,” says O’Connor.
“But it’s not a level-playing field when a high level of subsidies remain on imported fossil fuels. But we don’t have to wait to run out of fossil to start changing the system.”
