A feasibility study has been launched by the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) in Ireland’s mid-west to explore a new co-operative model for biorefineries.

Following a competitive expression of interest process in early 2025, Arrabawn-Tipperary Co-operative was selected to participate in the initial study, based on its access to suitable feedstock from dairy processing side streams and location within a discrete rural catchment.

The Collaborative Bio-Industrial Alliance (Comhar BIA) will assess how co-operatives and their members can turn agricultural and food processing by-products into high-value outputs such as renewable energy, natural fertilisers, bio-materials, chemicals and food and feed ingredients. Comhar is the Irish for co-operation.

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By developing regional, co-owned biorefineries, the project aims to deliver new income streams for farmers, attract sustainable investment, and strengthen rural economies, while also supporting Ireland’s national goals for decarbonisation and industrial transformation.

In partnership with Climate KIC, Europe’s leading climate innovation agency, the study has received backing from the Government, the European Union, South-East Regional Assembly, Enterprise Ireland and the Golden Jubilee Trust.

How it will work

The study will assess the technical and economic viability of a regional biorefinery model based on co-operative ownership, focusing on anaerobic digestion as a core technology, with potential for integrating other complementary technologies over time.

It will also explore the feasibility of establishing an enabling shared services entity to support and drive the commercialisation of collaborative bioeconomy projects.

The techno-economic analysis will be conducted by engineering consultancy firm AtkinsRéalis, with strategic input and guidance from ICOS and Climate KIC. It is expected to be completed by late autumn 2025.

TJ Flanagan, CEO of ICOS said:

“These biorefineries could bring significant economic opportunities for regions while accelerating decarbonisation across multiple sectors. Centring the project on co-operatives ensures a locally-led approach, complemented by the right partners, feedstocks, pathways and market outputs so that each biorefinery is appropriately located, sized, funded and developed with the communities it serves”.

Meanwhile, Denyse Julien, project lead at Climate KIC said what makes this initiative unique is its co-operative backbone, bringing farmers, processors, local authorities and communities together to co-develop shared bio-industrial infrastructure.

Next steps

Momentum is growing in Ireland around the potential of bioeconomy, with Bioeconomy Ireland Week in October and the Global Bioeconomy Summit in 2026 set to advance collaboration and investment in sustainable, circular bio-based solutions.

The Comhar BIA project has already attracted interest from other regions, and further funding will be sought to further develop the engineering design and business model for this first proposed facility, to develop subsequent facilities and to established a networked shared services function.

The Comhar BIA project is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027

The project is supported by a feasibility study grant of €50,000 by Enterprise Ireland under their ERDF backed ‘Smart Regions Innovation Fund’, with matched funding from the Golden Jubilee Trust, the charitable trust promoting the co-operative movement and agriculture in Ireland.