Green group plants bio-energy crops

MEMBERS of the Green Energy Growers Association (GEGA) have begun planting over 400 acres of miscanthus across counties Wexford, Kilkenny and Tipperary.

GEGA has been working for months to secure an unrestricted 10-year agreement for distribution, regeneration and harvesting of miscanthus and other bio-energy rootstocks for its members.

Thirty growers are in the first wave of GEGA’s bio-energy programme, which is believed to be the single largest block of commercial biomass development in Ireland.