Funding worth £450,000 has been awarded to five organisations to develop solutions to the problem of blue green algae in Lough Neagh.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has awarded the money as part of it’s small business research initiative (SBRI) to improve the health of the lough.
Blooms of blue-green algae in the summer of 2023 caused widespread public concern over the condition of Northern Ireland’s largest body of fresh water.
The five selected suppliers will develop prototypes to try and aid the Lough’s recovery, including “the use of ultrasonics, mechanical treatment and biological treatment”.
The chosen suppliers are Clear Water Systems Ltd, Helix8 Ltd, Queen’s University Belfast, Varicon Aqua Solutions Ltd, Wholeschool Software Ltd (Biild).
Some £200,000 of the money came from DAERA, and the department’s minister Andrew Muir said: “I am pleased to welcome the five successful suppliers for phase one of the Lough Neagh: Blue Green Algae Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), which is supported by funding from both my Department and the Department for the Economy.
“This first phase of the initiative is intended to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a proposed concept and its viability as a solution to help tackle blue green algae in Lough Neagh and can hopefully be applied to any area that has been affected by the bacteria.
“However, we must remember, this alone will not solve the blue green algae crisis.
“This initiative is only one action outlined in my 37-point Lough Neagh Report and Action Plan, which paves the way forward for improved water quality and reduced blue green algae.
“There is a significant amount of work to do to restore the lough and enhance water quality throughout Northern Ireland. This will take both time and resources.
“Water quality issues at Lough Neagh and elsewhere were decades in the making and will take decades to fix.
“It is my vision to have a healthy, resilient environment with high water quality status and I am firmly committed to take the necessary action to make a difference to our waterways.”
The other £250,000 for the scheme were supplied by the Department for the Economy through its SBRI challenge fund.
Economy Minister Conor Murphy said: ““My Department’s SBRI Challenge Fund supports innovative solutions to complex challenges such as that at Lough Neagh. I welcome DAERA’s appointment of five suppliers to move this research project to the next phase, where potential solutions can be explored and developed.”