Some €19.8m in Government funding has been awarded to 49 sustainable energy research projects by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

Seven of the 49 projects relate to bioenergy or biofuels and an additional project relates to community energy. These equate to a budget of approximately €2.5m.

The 49 successful projects follow a significant increase in national demand for energy research funding in 2021, with 56% more applications compared with the most recent call in 2019.

The results and outcomes from the selected research projects will reinforce and widen access to data, expertise and research resources for policymakers to support sustainable energy policies based on cutting edge science, according to the SEAI.

Anaerobic digestion

The seven successful projects with elements of significance to the agri-food sector include ADED: integration of anaerobic digestion (AD) and electrodialysis (ED) for methane yield promotion and ammonia in-situ recovery.

The project, led by National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), could recover methane from AD digestors as fertiliser, improve loading rates and economic viability and avoid methane volatilisation when land spreading.

The research aims to develop a novel AD technology for high methane recovery through ED technology.

Whiskey and dairy

Another project developing an economically viable dark fermentation process for biohydrogen production from Irish whiskey distillery and dairy industry wastes is led by Dublin City University (DCU).

The project will develop economic solutions for the dark fermentation process using waste products from the whiskey and dairy industries to maximise the production of biohydrogen.

This will guide full-scale applications for energy recovery towards a low-carbon economy and assess the economic and environmental benefits for future industry pathways.

Climate targets

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan said: “With such diverse areas as green hydrogen, robotics for wind farm maintenance, biofuels and technologies for increasing energy efficiency in buildings, this investment sees Ireland’s researchers take exciting steps forward in our national efforts to meet our binding climate targets."

Director of research and policy insight at SEAI Margie McCarthy said: “This funding will accelerate the development and deployment of competitive energy-related products, processes and systems in the Irish marketplace.

“Emerging energy markets are facing new technical and social barriers, and this funding is critical to supporting innovative solutions.”

Read more

Dairy sludge to be converted into fertiliser