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Improving the sustainability of grass utilisation by providing multiple sources of protein, products and energy
The biorefinery approach converts freshly harvested grass into a range of products, including an optimised cattle feed fibre, a non-GMO protein concentrate feed for monogastric, a high-value sugar stream of fructo-oligosaccharides and a grass whey for fertiliser or bioenergy applications
The fresh grass is first mechanically separated into press cake and juice. The press cake (fibre fraction) is used as cattle feed. The juice fraction (containing part of the extracted protein) can be used for monogastric feed, while the carbohydrate fraction of the residual brown juice can be utilised for fructo-oligosaccharide production which has application in cosmetic industry (Fig 6). Finally, the residual stream can be used as a source of biogas energy via anaerobic digestion.
Biorefinery Glas was the first demonstration of small-scale green biorefinery in Ireland, and used a multi-actor approach gathering the different value chain stakeholders together including dairy farmers, pig farmers and feed mills, with technology providers and researchers. The project can improve the availability of protein concentrate, reducing current imports of circa. 3 million tonnes of protein, while co-producing additional products and energy
The protein concentrate serves as excellent local, environmentally friendly replacements for imported soya meal to be used in the production of animal feed for monogastrics, reducing many of the environmental impacts such as CO2 transport emissions and deforestration. Press cake can offer a reduction in N and P related cattle emissions, while the process also recycles its waste stream to produce process energy.
The Biorefinery Glas project presents an opportunity for farmers in the bioeconomy, both as suppliers, but also in a more central role as pre-processors and producers, potentially increasing their share of value in the bioeconomy value chain. The products can improve the resilience and reduce imports based on better utilisation of local resources
Dairy cooperative and farmers, pig cooperative, feed mills, companies and universities.
Grass
6
Biorefinery glas
Mechanical shredding and pressing, precipitation, filtration, anaerobic digestion
Press cake silage, Protein concentrate, Fructo-oligosaccharide, Biogas
1 t/hr
Ireland
2019
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