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140 jobs for Limerick region

142 new jobs are being announced for Limerick this morning, as part of a €20-million investm...
Newstalk
Newstalk

10.41 14 Jun 2013


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140 jobs for Limerick region

140 jobs for Limerick region

Newstalk
Newstalk

10.41 14 Jun 2013


Share this article


142 new jobs are being announced for Limerick this morning, as part of a €20-million investment by CPL. The company is one of the largest makers of smokeless fuels in Europe.

The jobs will come on stream by 2015, as CPL builds a new bio-fuels plant at the Port of Foynes.

The plans come as the government here and politicians in Northern Ireland prepare to ban smoky coal by 2016.

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Minister Phil Hogan - who attended today's jobs announcement with Finance minister Michael Noonan - said, “Ireland has the highest rate of respiratory disease in Europe and it was with that in mind that we are looking at our policy options to tackle air quality on the island of Ireland"

UK firm CPL says it's been encouraged by good sales of new green coal ‘E coal 50’ here. They've also identified a new market for 130,000 tonnes of biomass in Munster.

Operations

CPL already has an operations facility in Foynes Port, but the new plant - which is subject to planning - should be operational by 2015. 

The new plant will initially have a capacity of c200,000 tonnes of briquette production but will be designed with the potential to expand to over 300,000 tonnes.

Jobs potential

The plant will employ 100 people once it's up and running - an additional 42 people will be employed in sales, distribution and plant maintenance. 150 people will be employed during the construction of the new facility.

The plant will also have a need for approximately 80,000 tonnes of biomass when in full production and initial discussions have commenced with biomass producers about how this need can be met.

CPL CEO Tim Minett said Environment minister Phil Hogan's decision to ban smoky coal here gave the company the impetus to decide to invest, but he said more work needs to be done. “We trust that the government will work to encourage customers to switch to these new fuels in the three-year switchover period as they have done with other green initiatives. This can be achieved by both continuing to fund more energy efficient homes and by zero-rating these new fuels for Carbon Tax for a limited time between now and 2016.”

Minister Hogan agrees "I am very conscious that we will need alternatives. This will reduce demand for imported coal and expand our indigenous fuel industry in Ireland which is good news for fuel security.” 

Biomass producers to benefit

Minnett adds, “Currently, we use a significant amount of imported biomass such as olive stones to produce this product and we plan to progressively substitute this with locally grown biomass. Ireland is a country that currently imports some 300,000 tonnes of smoky coal from Poland and Colombia. This new fuel policy can contribute to greater fuel security in Ireland.”

"Our investment in Foynes is really a first phase for us in Ireland to serve the domestic market. We envisage that in the medium term we may further expand production to serve the wider European market from Foynes.

Foynes as a strategic asset

Minister Michael Noonan said the deep water port of Foynes is a unique asset “ I understand that the team at CPL examined a number of options but chose Foynes for their investment. This is good news for Limerick and good news for the environment and for the economy of Ireland. It also has the potential to be very good news for farmers in Munster.”

Mr. Pat Keating CEO Shannon Foynes Port Company “We are delighted that they (CPL) made the decision to invest here. We are keenly aware that they had a number of alternatives on the table but that the strengths of the offering here in terms of having portside available space and a deep and efficient port won them over. We look forward to working closely with the company to deliver a successful project."


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