Determining a Suitable Local Green Biorefinery Model for Adoption by Irish Livestock Farmers Using a Mixed-Method Co-Design Employing Economic and Geographical Information Systems Analysis

To support the ambitious bioeconomy vision outlined in Ireland’s Bioeconomy Action Plan, there is an urgent need to bring together the necessary stakeholders required to implement this vision. Farmers and other primary producers who oversee the production of sustainable biomass constitute one of the most important categories of stakeholders in the bio-based value chain. To ensure scalable, long-lasting bioeconomy collaboration, it is essential that farmers are involved in developing this bioeconomy vision. The current study provides a mixed-methods approach to co-design a green biorefinery vision with Irish farmers and other key value-chain actors. The selected value chain targeting a medium-scale grass silage biorefinery focused on the production of eco-insulation materials, with protein and biogas co-products for local markets. This was then assessed economically using an economic model, which provided a payback period of five years. To identify suitable sites for deployment of the green biorefinery in rural areas, geographical information systems (GIS) analysis was undertaken, considering various environmental, socio-economic and infrastructural variables, which identified 26 potential sites for deployment of the green biorefinery model in Ireland. This study found that early engagement with and inclusion of the farmers in a co-designed process of innovation and alternative revenue streams for them is essential. While a preferred cooperative-based business model for a grass silage biorefinery was identified in consultation with the multiple stakeholders, further research on its long-term commercial sustainability is proposed as future research.