DCU researchers awarded funding under the ‘Research Ireland – Gas Networks Ireland Innovation Challenge’
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, announced €2.6 million in phased funding for five research teams focused on renewable gas production, energy system integration and intelligent gas network technologies.
The co-funded Research Ireland – Gas Networks Ireland Innovation Challenge brings together leading academic researchers with industry expertise to develop practical, scalable solutions for Ireland’s future energy needs, while contributing to Ireland’s climate and energy security objectives.
The five successful teams are working to develop solutions which will improve the efficiency, efficacy and commercial viability of biomethane and biohydrogen production, accelerate the integration of renewable gases into the Irish energy system and develop AI-based solutions for intelligent gas network performance diagnostics.
Dr Boland and Dr Carton, both from the School of School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, are one of the five research teams to receive funding for their project ‘O.P.P.O.R.T.U.N.I.T.Y. - Optimised Processes for Production Of Renewable Technologies Using Nanomaterials In Targeted Yield’, which is associated with the RAPID Institute.
The project is focused on developing a low-energy approach to valorising waste plastics by converting them into useful energy products, with a particular emphasis on green hydrogen generation. The work explores materials-enabled processing routes that are compatible with existing waste-management infrastructure and are designed to operate on plastic streams that are difficult to recycle using conventional methods. A key objective is to provide a credible, lower-energy alternative to established end-of-life treatments, while supporting circular economy and decarbonisation goals.
Dr Conor Boland, Project Lead said:
“This project is about rethinking what we do with plastics at the end of their life. By combining materials science with energy research, we are exploring ways to turn problematic plastic waste into a useful resource, while significantly reducing the energy and emissions associated with current disposal routes.”
Research Ireland – Gas Networks Ireland Innovation Challenge
The Research Ireland – Gas Networks Ireland Innovation Challenge 2025 is joint initiative, co-funded by Research Ireland and by Gas Networks Ireland through its Gas Innovation Fund. The Challenge aims to support research projects that have the potential to generate STEM-based solutions for utilisation by the renewable gas industry, giving rise to national impact in the journey to achieve carbon neutrality.
The Challenge focuses on two core themes:
- Energy system integration, including the use of artificial intelligence to optimise gas network performance
- Biomethane and biohydrogen, supporting the development of efficient, commercially viable renewable gas solutions
Challenge funding is a solution-focused approach to address complex problems via research. It focuses on finding the most innovative and impactful solutions using competitive processes to incentivise innovators.
The structure of the Programme will comprise three phases:
- Concept (six months’ duration, with successful teams securing up to €50,000)
- Seed (12 months’ duration, with teams securing up to €150,000), and:
- Prize (up to 24 months, with teams competing for an overall prize of €1million).