A new Environment and Renewable Energy Centre has officially opened at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Hillsborough, County Down.

The new research centre, which has already initiated a wide ranging renewable energy research programme, was lauded by Rural Affairs Minister Michelle Gildernew.

Ms Gildernew said: "The research programme has the initial focus of developing the opportunities for agriculture and forestry to generate renewable energy from indigenous resources such as animal manures, biomass crops and forest brash.

"Technologies which could improve the viability of biomass crops such as the use of farm dirty water to irrigate short rotation coppice (SRC) willows, improved planting systems for miscanthus (elephant grass), and more efficient biomass crop drying systems, are being investigated at Hillsborough."

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The Minister said continued funding has now been awarded from the Innovation Fund to take forward this research programme over the next three years.

International research links have also been established with research centres in Ireland, the USA and Europe.

Initial funding was used for the construction of a farm-scale anaerobic digester now generating electricity and heat for the site from a combined heat and power unit.

A 320kW biomass heating system has also been installed and a research programme initiated, with the support of DARD, into a range of biomass resources including short rotation coppice willows, forestry residues and miscanthus.

Environmentally friendly construction methods were used in the building of the main Renewable Energy Centre building with hemp/lime wall construction in the visitor centre and timber cladding sourced from Hillsborough Forest.

(PR/JM)