The Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA), a partner in the CASCADE project, is also involved in a newly launched national initiative funded through the EU Just Transition Fund. The project, titled “BIOCHAR – Biochar for Industry, Optimising Eco-Impact, Construction, Agriculture and Rural Communities”, will run over the next four years and complements ongoing work within CASCADE and C5.
A Strong Consortium and Shared Objectives
The BIOCHAR project brings together a strong consortium of partners from research, industry, and regional development. It is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Ireland and focuses on advancing biochar applications across multiple sectors.
Key areas of focus include:
- Industrial applications and eco-impact optimisation
- Use of biochar in construction and agriculture
- Contributions to rural development and local value creation
The project reflects a growing recognition of biochar as a cross-sector solution with potential benefits for both environmental and economic systems.
Building on CASCADE Connections
The initiative also highlights how collaboration within CASCADE can lead to new opportunities beyond the project itself. The BIOCHAR project was made possible through connections established in the CASCADE network, including contributions from stakeholders such as Climate KIC.
This underlines an important aspect of CASCADE:
→ acting as a platform for collaboration, enabling new partnerships and
follow-up initiatives.
Looking Ahead
With dedicated funding and a long-term perspective, the BIOCHAR project will contribute to further developing and testing biochar solutions in Ireland. Its alignment with CASCADE and C5 creates opportunities for shared learning, exchange, and scaling of results across projects and regions.
The announcement marks another step towards strengthening biochar-based value chains and supporting the transition towards more sustainable and circular systems.