A bio-processing joint venture between two Irish companies is to create 140 new jobs in Claremorris, Co Mayo.
BioSpark is to invest €40m in developing a bio-processing research and manufacturing centre in the town. It says the project has the 'realistic potential' to increase the number of jobs to 300 within three years.
BioSpark is a joint venture between Maynooth-based renewable energy company Imperative Energy and Sustainable Biopolymers, which is based in Claremorris.
The new BioSpark development, on a 22-acre site near the town, will convert organic material such as straw and wood into bio-based products such as ethanol, methane and hydrogen. It will also produce 60,000 tonnes of wood pellets a year, while the biomass will also used to generate electricity through a CHP (combined heat and power) plant at the facility.
The facility will be built over the next two years, subject to planning approval.