Ireland’s first on-farm demonstration plant integrating grass biorefining and anaerobic digestion has been opened at Shinagh Estates Demonstrations Farm in Co Cork.

The €3m facility, which forms part of the Farm Zero C project, was officially opened by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon.

The plant will process fresh grass into a range of products including high-protein animal feed, a grass-fibre fraction that can be used for livestock feed and packaging applications, bioenergy and biofertiliser.

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There is also potential for human food ingredients in the future, subject to further development and regulatory approval.

Minister Heydon said the facility would examine how more value can be obtained from grass while maintaining its primary role as livestock feed.

“Instead of just using grass for one purpose – animal feed – this facility will show at a pre-commercial level how we can make further use of our grass and open up new business models and income streams for our grassland farmers,” he said.

Grass biorefining

Green biorefining separates fresh grass into a fibre-rich press cake for livestock feed and a juice stream from which protein and other bio-based ingredients can be recovered.

What remains can be directed to anaerobic digestion to produce renewable energy and nutrient-rich material with potential for use as bio-based fertiliser, subject to quality, agronomic and regulatory requirements.

The purpose of the demonstration plant is to generate operating evidence, validate feed and bio-based products and business models, support farmer and industry engagement and reduce the risk involved in wider deployment.

Minister of State Noel Grealish said the Department has invested more than €40m over the last decade in the bio-based economy, including in the area of grass biorefining.

He also added that this project will be further built on by the €3m 'Grass4Value' project announced earlier this year.

Carbery Group CEO Jason Hawkins said the demonstration facility will allow partners to assess performance, product quality, environmental and climate impacts, costs, regulatory requirements and viable business models under real farming conditions.

Project partners include Munster Technological University, University College Dublin, Carbery Group, Shinagh Estates, BiOrbic Research Ireland Centre for Bioeconomy and University of Galway.