TASK 36 meeting in Dublin
IEA Bioenergy Task 36 hold hybrid meeting in Dublin on the 16-18th October 2023.
IEA Bioenergy Task 36 hold hybrid meeting in Dublin on the 16-18th October 2023. The meeting was hosted by the Irish NTL Fionnuala Murphy from University College of Dublin at the Museum of Literature of Ireland (MoLI).
The national team leaders (NTLs) had the opportunity to exchange information about the new actions taken in their respective countries around bioenergy, waste handling and circular economy. There were interesting discussions about how to improve collaboration inside IEA Bioenergy, raise interest from stake holders on new ideas about content dissemination.
The meeting included a technical visit to Green Generation, a company handling both food waste and plastic. Green Generation operate an anaerobic digester which converts unused food products and animal waste (pig slurry) into renewable energy. The visit took in the feedstock intake areas, anaerobic digester, control rooms and biogas upgrading facility. The visit included a talk on the operation of the anaerobic digester and the context for anaerobic digestion in Ireland. Anaerobic digestion is a suitable process for the valorisation of food waste. Green Generation work with local farmers to apply digestate to growing crops. The IEA Bioenergy Task 36 team was joined by a group of Masters students from the School of Biosystems & Food Engineering in University College Dublin, it was a great visit for all, learning about potential opportunities for valorisation of food waste while reducing environmental impacts.
In combination to the Task meeting, the second workshop of the Regional Sustainability Workshop Series about Food Waste in the Irish context was hold on the 18th of October. This time it was a hybrid hold at MoLI that counted with 99 participants. This workshop, entitled ‘A participatory workshop to inform and engage participants in a discussion about sustainability and food waste’, explored the issue of food waste and sustainability, considering the impacts and potential solutions. Participants included those from industry, students, regulatory authorities and policeymakers.
Read more: Energy from Waste: Regional Sustainability Workshop series report available here.
