€5 Million Investment for Mount Lucas Bioeconomy Site: Why is this so exciting for Offaly?
Pippa Hackett
Irish Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity. PhD. Green Party Senator. Mother of four, and a runner.
The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) has been awarded a €5 million investment towards the Mount Lucas Bioeconomy Aquaculture Initiative funded by the?EU Just Transition Fund and through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Replacing fossil-based products
The project site is adjacent to Mountlucas Windfarm and will demonstrate how freshwater fish like rainbow trout, cultivated-duckweed and macroalgae can be utilised to produce food, energy and industrial and consumer based goods.?It is an example of circular bioeconomy where renewable, nature based, raw materials replace the wide range of non-renewable, fossil-based products currently in use.
How does it work?
Many locals will know that the site has been a duckweed-based fish farm for several years. Fresh water fish, like trout and perch, are raised in ponds and feed on duckweed which thrives in the high nutrient water resulting from the fish waste. The water is cycled, using renewable energy, through several ponds where it is cleaned by macroalgae. The high protein duckweed has many potential uses, as do the fish and the macroalgae.
So, what is new?
Recently I had a tour from the TUS team lead, Professor Neil Rowan, who talked me through the possibilities for scaling the production of low carbon food for people and feedstuff for animals, anaerobic digestion etc. But it is when he is talking about the development of other, innovative bio-based products from this process that he becomes really animated, and the true potential comes to light. He talks about the peatlands as an ‘Amazon’ of possibilities for products from consumer goods like cosmetics to pharmaceutical and industrial products.
Circular system
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The peatland site functions in a circular way and there is no discharge arising from the process, showcasing how zero waste, zero pollution and climate action principles can support the region. A key to this is job creation and I am very heartened by the wide collaboration and interest already evident.
The project is unique
It is important to emphasise the uniqueness of this project within Europe. Not only for the next-generation technologies ranging from aquatech to a biorefinery but also because it is a demonstrator project. ?With sights on collaboration with entrepreneurs and innovators in the aquatech sector both nationally and internationally, this project has the immediate potential to become a centre of excellence.
Offaly’s role
I am proud of the central role Offaly is playing. Given TUS’s international reach, the project’s uniqueness and mandate as a demonstrator, I believe it will attract visitors from near and far. And when they come to Mount Lucas we must encourage them to stay for a while to explore our peatland trails, dip into our rich monastic and industrial heritage and experience our warm welcome.
Image: With TUS team members, L-R, Professor Neil Rowan, Professor Vincent Cunnane (President TUS), myself, Dr Liam Brown, Pawel Wisniewski, Dr Emer O’Neill, Dr Lisa Moran. ?
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