On the 24th of February 2026, Ministers Martin Heydon TD and Darragh O’Brien TD announced BIOCHAR as one of two €5m awards under the EU Just Transition Fund (EUJTF) Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative (co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union).

We’re proud that, under the leadership of Anu Priyadarshini, Director of the EcoLOGIC Research Group, both Maynooth University and EcoLOGIC are part of the BIOCHAR consortium, helping deliver practical, investable bioeconomy solutions that support communities and businesses in the Midlands as the region builds new low-carbon, biobased value chains.

Our role: EcoLOGIC will contribute towards the socio-economic and environmental sustainability assessment of biochar value chains delivered through BIOCHAR in Ireland’s Just Transition Fund Territory in the Midlands. This work will help ensure that solutions demonstrated through the project are:

→ Environmentally robust, including credible assessment of benefits and trade-offs

→ Socially and economically meaningful for rural communities

→ Scalable and investable, supporting evidence-based decision-making for future deployment

About BIOCHAR: Led by the University of Limerick, BIOCHAR will develop and produce a sustainable biochar product from indigenous biomass feedstocks and test it through large-scale demonstrations across the Midlands, including applications in agriculture, water treatment, and transport infrastructure. The project will also develop a high-level blueprint for a mid-sized biochar facility to support future investment and replication in the region.

Place-based impact for the Midlands Just Transition: The EUJTF Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative is designed to deliver practical, place-based solutions that support communities and businesses in the Midlands as the region transitions away from peat, creating opportunities for local investment, supply chains, and skills development.

Consortium partners: BIOCHAR brings together partners across Ireland, including the University of Limerick, Maynooth University, Teagasc, Coillte, Western Development Commission, NuaFund, Mountbellew Agricultural College, Roadstone Ltd, Senus, Arigna Group, Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA), Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS), Climate KIC, and others.

EcoLOGIC looks forward to collaborating with the consortium to support the delivery of measurable sustainability outcomes and rural economic opportunity through biochar innovation in the Midlands.

Click here to read more about the EU Just Transition Funding Project - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's press release