New MTU grass biorefinery 'first of its kind' in Ireland
Munster Technological University (MTU) has launched a new pilot green biorefinery at its Kerry campus.
The facility will develop technologies that convert grass into a range of products, including animal feeds, human-grade protein, prebiotics, flavours and bioenergy.
According to MTU, the biorefinery is intended to help Ireland's move towards sustainable agriculture and a circular bioeconomy.
A statement from the university said the plant will build on MTU's ongoing research in projects which showed that protein can be extracted from grass, clover, and green leaves to feed cattle and pigs while producing additional high value products.
Outcomes of this research include the use of grass biorefinery press cake as a suitable forage for cows and the co-production of high-quality protein concentrates for pigs and poultry.
In a statement, MTU said the new Kerry campus facility will allow the university to "take this innovation to the next level" ahead of a 2026 launch of a demonstration-scale green biorefinery and anaerobic digestion facility at Farm Zero C, Shinagh Farm, Bandon, Co. Cork.
MTU is developing this facility in partnership with University College Dublin (UCD) and Carbery Group.
First of its kind
Speaking about the new Kerry campus pilot biorefinery, James Gaffey, principal investigator for green biorefinery research based at MTU, said: “As the only country in Europe with more than 50% grassland, Ireland is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the development of green biorefining.
“By extracting food and feed-grade proteins and value-added co-products from grass, we can reduce costly imports and lower our carbon footprint, while increasing local resilience and strengthening the competitiveness of our farming and agri-food industries.
“This new pilot facility is the first of its kind in Ireland, and complements our excellent track record of research in this space.
“It offers a great platform for us to scale this research and test these innovation opportunities with industry.”
Feed imports
Ireland currently imports around three million tonnes of animal feed concentrates every year, according to MTU.
This includes almost one million tonnes of soybean meal, mostly from South America,
"However, production in that region has been linked to Amazon deforestation, along with long distance transport emissions," the statement said.
MTU research shows that grass protein concentrate can have up to five times lower climate impact than soybean meal.
"This offers Irish farmers a locally produced alternative at a time when agricultural inputs such as feed, fertiliser, and energy have increased by around 75% over the past seven years, mostly driven by the Covid-19 pandemic," the statement said.
Hugh McGlynn, vice president of research at MTU, said: “This scale-up of MTU’s green biorefinery research activity is a landmark moment for MTU and for Ireland.
"It shows our commitment to working with partners across the country and Europe to find solutions that genuinely benefit farmers, the environment and the community.
“By turning our grasslands into new opportunities, we are helping rural Ireland prosper into the future.”
The new green biorefinery is funded by Enterprise Ireland in collaboration with the Centre for Applied BioSciences Research (CABR) Technology Gateway, and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
