Research on Ireland’s Biomass Resources Published

The INFORMBIO project is pleased to announce the publication of a peer-reviewed research paper presenting the results of the Irish Bioresource Mapping Model. The article, Quantifying and Mapping Biomass Resources in Ireland: A Holistic Assessment of Primary and Secondary Feedstocks, was published in the journal Energies on 19 February 2026.

The study provides a comprehensive assessment of biomass resource availability in Ireland to date. Using the Irish Bioresource Mapping Model, researchers quantified and mapped biomass resources at county level across the Republic of Ireland, covering both primary feedstocks, such as tillage grains and timber, and secondary feedstocks, including by-products and waste streams, such as wheat straw, bark, barley spent grain, fish processing wastes, etc.

The research identified and mapped 221 biomass feedstocks, providing insights into quantities, geographic distribution and current uses (fates). The results highlight significant regional variation in biomass availability, with many counties in the south and west showing particularly high resource availability, while lower levels were observed in parts of the east coast and northwest. The analysis also demonstrates that areas with high biomass quantities do not necessarily have the greatest diversity of feedstocks, highlighting the importance of understanding local resource characteristics when planning future bio-based value chains.

The publication explains the methodology and results of the analysis available to the wider scientific, policy and industrial communities. The work contributes to the evidence needed to support sustainable bio-based value chains, resource planning and circular bioeconomy strategies in Ireland.

The results of the study can also be accessed through the INFORMBIO Bioresource Mapping Tool, Work Package 2 on the Project Outputs webpage, or in Girón-Domínguez, C., Alaydi, H., Sameti, M., Kargupta, W., Bishop, G., Styles, D., Zimmermann, J., Díaz Huerta, J., Fealy, R., McMahon, H., & Gaffey, J. (2026). Quantifying and Mapping Biomass Resources in Ireland: A Holistic Assessment of Primary and Secondary Feedstocks. Energies, 19(4), 1068. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19041068