37 energy research projects to receive €21m in government funding
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), along with four co-funding partners, has announced that 37 new energy research projects have been awarded a total of €21 million in government funding.
SEAI’s National Energy Research, Development and Demonstration (RDD) Funding Programme aims to accelerate Ireland's transition to a "clean and secure energy future".
The programme supports research institutes, industry, and public sector bodies with policymakers in Ireland.
The four co-funding partners for 2024 include the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Marine Institute and Geological Survey Ireland.
37 small, medium, and large-scale projects, as well as academic fellowships will benefit from the funding which will support a broad range of energy research across Ireland.
The projects include supporting citizens in their energy journey; biofuels and agriculture; solar energy; geothermal; energy storage; carbon capture and environmental climate targets.
DAFM will co-fund two projects focused on bioenergy and the bioeconomy.
The EXPAND project will delve deeper into the utilisation of anaerobic digestion (AD) by-products within the broader bioeconomy.
BioEInsights will work on identifying locations for bioenergy installations and analyse barriers on a case-by-case basis.
While the NPWS is supporting a project on bats’ migration to avoid any potential negative impacts of offshore wind energy infrastructure on these protected species.
Another example of a projects selected for funding is GasAbate Complete which will show how animal slurry can be used as a starting point for AD.
The project aims to demonstrate how it can be achieved more widely and cheaper using medium-scale AD plants, which will greatly reduce Ireland’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and make Irish agriculture more competitive internationally.
Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Daragh O’Brien TD said he was very pleased to see a further 37 energy research projects awarded funding through the SEAI RDD programme.
"Research and innovation are vital for the decarbonisation of our energy system, as prioritised in our Research and Innovation Strategy to 2030.
"The areas addressed by these projects support our vision for a climate-neutral, sustainable future for our citizens, businesses and communities," he said.
Margie McCarthy, director of research and policy insights at SEAI, added that "informed research and evidence-based policy are essential for addressing the critical challenges of our time".
"The transition to clean energy is not just a technological necessity but also a foundation for the well-being of future generations.
"These innovations to combat climate change and drive meaningful progress contribute to SEAI's mission to be at the forefront of delivering Ireland's energy transition," she said.The 2025 SEAI RDD call will open for applications in the coming months.
