Transforming Research into Reality at the
New National Biorefinery Pilot Plant
Last Thursday, June 25th 2026, marked a monumental milestone for the Irish bioeconomy. BiOrbic was incredibly proud to celebrate the official launch of the €4.7 million National Biorefinery Pilot Plant (NBPP) and the €5 million BioScaleUp initiative at the National Bioeconomy Campus in Lisheen, Co. Tipperary.
This combined €9.7 million investment, officially launched by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, is the culmination of a vision that BiOrbic, the Irish Bioeconomy Foundation (IBF) and partners, have championed for over a decade. Until now, researchers have been pioneering breakthroughs at a university laboratory scale and this new state-of-the-art NBPP facility now provides the essential open-access infrastructure needed to take those innovations from academic research to commercial deployment.
Photo: Odhran Ducie
Photo: Ordhan Ducie.
Scaling Up Ireland’s Abundant Natural Wealth
Ireland is rich in biological resources, producing millions of tonnes of solid and liquid biomass annually. Historically, agricultural, food and forestry side-streams have not utilised biotechnology and biomanufacturing to transform what was once considered waste into valuable new materials and products. The new pilot plant will change this.
By offering dedicated, open-access pilot-scale infrastructure, the NBPP allows researchers, start-ups, SMEs and major industry partners to test, validate and scale processes that turn virgin biomass and side-streams into high-value products. These bio-based products will replace fossil-based products as sustainable alternatives, for example bio-based packaging, natural pigments, green chemicals and food-and-feed ingredients, while simultaneously boosting renewable energy outputs like biomethane.
BioScaleUp: The Bioeconomy in Action
The BioScaleUp initiative is co-funded by the Government of Ireland, through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund.
The initiative allows industry and researchers to scale up biotechnologies from lab scale (TRL 1-4) to pilot scale (TRL 5-8) directly at the new pilot plant. BiOrbic Director Kevin O’ Connor is the lead investigator for this initiative, and BiOrbic are collaborating with a number of industry partners on projects that will access the NBPP facility. BioScaleUp will find new uses for simple sugars, food industry leftovers and aquaculture waste by using them to grow duckweed and seaweed. These plants will then be used to make new food and animal feed products.
Photo: Odhran Ducie
A Just Transition
The transformation of the former Lisheen Mine into a thriving, future-facing hub for green innovation is a shining example of what the circular bioeconomy can achieve.
The establishment of the NBPP at Lisheen is part of a wider bioeconomy campus development by Tipperary County Council and other partners. The campus has already attracted companies such as AQS Environmental and Naringtech, bringing vital jobs to the local community. Local engineering and service companies have also worked on the site as part of the NBPP development, and the plant will continue to support local job creation as it matures.
As Ireland prepares to host the Global Bioeconomy Summit in Dublin this October during our presidency of the EU Council, the launch of this plant positions the country as a serious actor in the development of biomanufacturing capability – a key pillar of European competitiveness and autonomy.
