The 42,000t Dynagreen is scheduled to arrive in Foynes Port this weekend loaded with woodchip from Brazil.

Bord na Móna (BnM) confirmed, when contacted by the Irish Farmers Journal, that its Edenderry power plant is the final destination for the shipment which travelled from Brazil via the Canary Islands, a distance of over 7,500km.

BnM said in a statement that a combination of biomass materials is needed to produce the correct fuel mix for power generation at the Edenderry plant.

'Vast majority' sourced from Ireland

The company said it “sources the vast majority of sustainable residual material from indigenous suppliers in Ireland”.

International material is sourced when remaining biomass requirements cannot be acquired locally due to volume and suitability constraints, the company said.

On the sustainability of shipping woodchip around the planet to burn in Offaly, the company statement said: “Bord na Móna works with Preferred by Nature, an international non-profit organisation that supports better land management and business practices, to carry out on-the-ground audits on its behalf at international sites where biomass material is sourced.”

Local authorities in Brazil issue the company with a product phytosanitary certificate to ensure compliance with Department of Agriculture import requirements.