WAR and spiralling costs have put the focus firmly on our dependence on fossil fuels and accelerated the pace of the hunt for alternatives.

In East Clare, a pilot project looking at the potential of ‘biomass’ is nearing a conclusion and exciting results are set to boost the case for the use of organic matter, like rushes, as fuel and fertiliser.

The Biomass to Biochar project, headquartered close to Mountshannon, is a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.

It has been investigating the treatment of biomass created from rushes to turn it into what is called ‘biochar’. a charcoal-like substance which can work as a fertiliser.

Briquets for domestic use have also been developed. Farmers are paid to supply rushes and can qualify for carbon credits. Not only that, but the urgency of investing in carbon removal, in the interests of the climate change, has been recognised by global corporations like Stripe which has recently launched a multi-million dollar support fund.

Midlands native Bernard Carey, who heads up the East Clare project, told The Champion that recent events have put a sharper focus on issue.

“Climate change has become a bit more real for people in recent years,” he said. “In addition, since the war on Ukraine, people have been looking at the price of oil and considering alternatives. Now the big companies like the Stripes and Googles of this world are beginning to move more rapidly to buy carbon credits.”

As a farmer with a forestry background, Bernard is a passionate advocate for biomass collection and biochar production. He says there are multiple benefits for the farming community.

“Farming is changing and we’re seeing the age profile increase,” he said. “We see the reality of depopulation in rural areas with fewer people on the land.

“Biomass harvesting offers an opportunity to make farming less intensive. When it comes to something like rushes, there is no cost to the farmer in producing those.

“There might be with something like miscanthus which requires investment. When it comes to rushes, there is a cost to the farmer to manage and control them.

“I spoke to somebody recently who had to spend €25,000 on a mover to get rid of them. If managing rushes is already costing you, it’s not a big leap to look at what you could be earning from selling them as a biomass product.

“It’s part of a concept called ‘carbon farming’ which means practices are done to keep as much carbon as possible out of the atmosphere. It can also provide another source of income for the farmer.”

Bernard is also quick to reassure farmers that rush cutting, to provide biomass, is a practice that is fully compatible with existing environmental management schemes.

“On some schemes, rushes are cut in bands on alternative years, for example,” he said. “That means the farmer has an opportunity every year to sell that product.”

One of the main activities of the East Clare project involves treating biomass with heat to produce a biochar product that can be added to slurry.

“We’ve conducted a trial on adding rushes to slurry to reduce gases and we saw a dramatic reduction in ammonia and methane,” he said.

“Biochar can also be added to slurry before it’s spread and that brings big benefits.”

The project has also examined how rushes can be milled and chopped to produce briquets.

“What we’ve been doing is looking at the best uses products,” he said. “Ideally, we would be looking at developing local co-ops with a small plant to bail and treat rushes to produce biochar. Small factories could also be supplied by local farmers, providing support to the rural economy.

“When it comes to rushes, they are particularly prevalent in the west, right across Clare, Limerick and Galway,” he said.

“Since St Brigid, we haven’t had a proper use for rushes. People are spending lots of money and time managing them. Harvesting them as biomass offers opportunities on several levels.”

Currently, the project is looking for views from farmers and landowners. It is offering the chance to win half a tonne of renewable and smokeless biofuel for those who complete a survey on Surveymonkey.com/r/WDVNDPG.

More details on the pilot project are available on biomasstobiochar.ie/