MTU secures €3 million to turn Irish grass into food, feed and farm value

Munster Technological University has secured €3 million (US$3.5 million) from Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to lead Grass4Value, a major research demonstration project focused on converting grass and legumes into higher-value food, feed, energy and fertilizer products.

• MTU secured €3 million (US$3.5 million) from Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to lead the Grass4Value research demonstration project.
• The project brought together MTU, University College Dublin, Teagasc and University of Galway to develop new grass-based value chains.
• Grass4Value will test grass protein concentrates in calf, ewe and pig trials and scale technologies for human food ingredient applications.

The project will build on the recent launch of MTU’s pilot biorefinery facility in Kerry and connect several Irish demonstration and pilot-scale bioeconomy sites. These include MTU’s pilot biorefinery, Ireland’s first demonstration-scale Green Biorefinery and Anaerobic Digestion facility at Farm Zero C in Cork, and the new National Bioeconomy Pilot Plant at Lisheen in Tipperary.

Grass4Value has been designed to support more competitive and resilient grassland farming in Ireland by developing new routes for converting the country’s grass and legume resources into higher-value outputs. Alongside producing press cake fiber feed for cows, the project will produce and test sustainable grass-based protein concentrate alternatives to imported soy, with trials planned in calves, ewes and pigs.

The project will also scale technologies aimed at producing higher-value functional protein ingredients from grass-based feedstocks for potential use in human food products. MTU reported that downstream technologies, including anaerobic digestion and precision fermentation, will also be advanced to target the production of feed and food ingredients, energy and fertilizers within a circular process.

“Our farmers and food producers need access to the best possible evidence, technologies and practices. This research investment will generate the insights and innovations required to meet those needs,” said Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon.

The funding announcement followed DAFM’s recent award of €3.1 million (US$3.6 million) in infrastructure funding to MTU and UCD to develop a grass biorefinery and anaerobic digestion demonstration facility at Farm Zero C in Cork in collaboration with Carbery Group.

“This investment reflects MTU’s leadership in bioeconomy research and builds on the success of our recently launched green biorefinery,” said Professor Hugh McGlynn, Vice President for Research at MTU. “Through Grass4Value, we are working with national partners to unlock new opportunities for Irish agriculture, supporting farmers while contributing to climate and sustainability goals.”

Professor James Gaffey, Project Coordinator and co-Director of CircBio at MTU, said, “This DAFM Grass4Value project builds on the recent awarding by DAFM of €3.1 million in infrastructure to MTU and UCD to develop a grass biorefinery and anaerobic digestion demonstration facility at Farm Zero C in Cork in collaboration with Carbery Group. The project will evaluate and demonstrate new ways in which grass biorefining can help to make farming in Ireland more resilient and robust particularly in light of current market volatility and other environmental and socio-economic pressures.”

University College Dublin and the BiOrbic Research Centre will also play a central role in the collaboration, which is set to combine research expertise with infrastructure for larger-scale validation.

“This collaboration led by MTU brings together a number of BiOrbic researchers with complementary expertise to work together to develop technologies that can accelerate innovation in green biorefining,” said Professor Kevin O’Connor, University College Dublin and Director of the BiOrbic Research Centre. “The integration of two deep demonstration sites, Shinagh farm Bandon Co. Cork (Farm Zero C) and Lisheen, Co. Tipperary (National Biorefining Pilot Plant), into the project demonstrates the vision and ambition of the project to test at scale and develop real world solutions using Ireland’s most abundant natural resource.”

Grass4Value builds on earlier national initiatives in grassland and bioeconomy research, including the Rural BioReFarmeries project. It will include industry engagement, large-scale validation trials and training programs intended to support adoption across the sector.

Main Photo: Pictured at the announcement of a major €37.5 million investment in Research for agri-food, forest and bioeconomy by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon TD, and Minister of State with special responsibility for Research and Development Noel Grealish TD was Professor James Gaffey, Project Coordinator and co-Director of CircBio; Prof Hugh McGlynn, Vice President Research and Innovation, MTU; Professor Kevin O’Connor, University College Dublin and Director of the BiOrbic Research Centre; and Professor Peadar Lawlor, Principal Research Officer, Teagasc.