NUI Galway recently hosted the second International Conference on Pollution Control and Resource Recovery for the Livestock Sector (LivestockWaste2016). The conference provided a forum for researchers and industry representatives to present, discuss and develop their innovative technologies and practices for managing livestock waste and recovering resources.

Attendees at LivestockWaste2016

Sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, Engineers Ireland, Teagasc, NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute and Fáilte Ireland, the conference also facilitated the introduction of many innovative international solutions to representatives of the Irish livestock sector and engineering industry with the aim of improving practices in Ireland.

Professor Xinmin Zhan, Chair of LivestockWaste2016 and Professor with NUI Galway’s Civil Engineering, said: “In recent years, economic development, population growth and demand for a better quality of living have resulted in the growth of the livestock sector. As a by-product of the sectors activities, a large volume of waste is generated making the livestock sector one of the largest agricultural pollution sources in most developing and developed countries. In addition to the waste generated, the livestock sector is a major contributor to climate change as a result of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rumen animals, on-farm activities and animal waste management. In order to alleviate the pollution from the sector, innovative technologies and practices for managing livestock waste and emissions are being developed worldwide.”

Over the three days international renowned experts delivered keynote speeches on a number of critical topics relating to waste management within the Livestock sector including: Professor Kornelia Smalla, The Julius Kühn Institute, Germany; Dr Karl Richards, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle; Professor Han-Qing Yu, University of Science and Technology of China; Dr Jerry Murphy, University College Cork; Professor Xia Huang, Tsinghua University, China; and Professor Dave Chadwick, Bangor University in Wales.

In addition, the international conference delegates delivered, both, oral and poster presentations, over the three days. These presentation were grouped under a number of thematic areas, including but limited to: pollution policies and regulations for the livestock sector; emerging contaminants in livestock waste streams; technologies for waste prevention; anaerobic digestion and composting; pollution control technologies; Greenhouse Gas emissions; technologies for nutrient recovery; and other relative technologies.

The Environmental Engineering Research Group in Civil Engineering has been very active in carrying out research and practice in environmentally sustainable agricultural waste management. Professor Xinmin Zhan, who chaired the LivestockWaste2016 conference, is leading the GreenFarm project funded by SFI. The project explores the technical and financial feasibility of anaerobic co-digestion plants on Irish pig farms, and the DairyWater project investigating measures to increase the environmental sustainability of the Irish dairy processing industry.

The 2nd International Conference on Pollution Control and Resource Recovery for the Livestock Sector takes place in NUI Galway from the 10th to the 12th of August 2016, providing a forum to present, discuss and develop innovative technologies and practices for managing livestock waste and recovering resources. The Chair for the event is DairyWater PI, Prof Xinmin Zhan. The event has been previewed in the Engineers Ireland eJournal and additional details can be found on the conference website.

On 5th March 2016, Experts from across Ireland gathered at NUI Galway for a symposium on ‘Research, Development and Innovation in Marine and Renewable Energy in Ireland’. The symposium was hosted by MaREI, Ireland’s Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy. The event was chaired by DairyWater researcher, Dr Jamie Goggins.

Attendees at the inagural MaREI symposium

The demand for energy is growing relentlessly with the pressures of population growth and improved living standards. With a sea to land ratio of over 10:1, Ireland is ideally placed to address this challenge through our marine and renewable energy resources.

The main scientific, technical and socio-economic challenges across the marine and energy spaces were discussed at the event. It provides an opportunity for researchers to disseminate their research, identify further opportunities for collaboration and discuss the future direction of marine and renewable energy in Ireland.

Professor Jerry Murphy, interim director of MaREI, said MaREI’s strategy is aligned to national priorities and international roadmaps in marine and renewable energy and Ireland’s transition to a low carbon energy future.

“MaREI research achieves high impact by ensuring relevance and accessibility to academia, industry and policy makers. One of MaREI’s great strengths is its multidisciplinary approach to research and its engagement with stakeholders. By working collaboratively across all MaREI’s six institutions and with its 46 industry partners, it is possible to assemble the skill sets needed for impactful research,” he said.

“The investment in world-class research facilities in Ireland for ocean energy is hugely important to bringing technology to market and helping Ireland to develop an export market for Ocean Energy Technologies,” said Dr Jamie Goggins, chairperson of the symposium and senior lecturer at NUI Galway.

“The recent State investment in the full scale structural testing facility for tidal turbine blades here at NUI Galway along with the one-quarter scale ocean energy test site and Ocean Observatory in Galway Bay position Ireland at the forefront of testing and development of ocean energy devices,” he added.

MaREI’s industry-led research programme provides innovative solutions that reduce the time to market, and reduce costs to a competitive level.

The Centre has built upon the excellent track record of well-established marine and energy-based research groups across each of its academic partners, covering a wide range of cross-cutting topics across these spaces, including device design and modelling, energy conversion and storage, novel materials and structural testing, operations and decision support, energy policy and modelling, and environmental monitoring.

MaREI is coordinated by the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) at University College Cork and has 130 researchers working across six academic institutions collaborating with over 45 industry partners.