04/04/2003
Green power in Co Fermanagh nurtured by £2m grant
A £2 million Government grant to help build an environmentally friendly heat and power plant in Co Fermanagh has been announced.
The funding from the DTI’s Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme will help timber company Balcas Limited with the construction of a wood-fired combined heat and power (CHP) generator for their sawmill near Enniskillen.
The new generator will benefit the company through reduced electricity costs; the environment through reduced emissions and the production of a new source of green fuel; and the local economy and community through the safeguarding of jobs in the forestry sector.
Announcing the funding Energy Minister Brian Wilson today: “The benefits of renewable energy are self-evident. Local businesses, the community and the environment all reap the rewards. Bioenergy is especially beneficial to the rural economy.
“We have supported our commitment to renewable energy with action. A further £60 million has been made available, bringing our total funding to nearly £350 million over four years.
“It is projects like the Balcas CHP generator that will help us reach our environmental goals, fulfil our energy needs and create employment.
“It is time for biomass projects to move forward, and I am delighted to confirm the £2 million grant to allow another project to progress.”
The new plant will use surplus sawdust and woodchips from the business to supply nearly all Balcas’ electricity needs, saving the company up to £1 million per year in electricity costs.
The heat from the new plant will be used to produce refined wood pellets - a clean fossil fuel alternative – that will generate enough heat to keep 10,000 homes warm throughout the year.
The new plant will provide added security for the forestry sector and help safeguard over 1,000 jobs in rural areas of Northern Ireland.
The Government’s recent Energy White Paper placed the renewables sector at the heart of future energy policy with its commitment to producing 10% electricity from green sources, including biomass, by 2010, as well as a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.
The Balcas CHP generator is one of several applications to be granted funding from a new £30 million allocation to promote the use of viable bioenergy technology throughout the UK.
(MB)
The funding from the DTI’s Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme will help timber company Balcas Limited with the construction of a wood-fired combined heat and power (CHP) generator for their sawmill near Enniskillen.
The new generator will benefit the company through reduced electricity costs; the environment through reduced emissions and the production of a new source of green fuel; and the local economy and community through the safeguarding of jobs in the forestry sector.
Announcing the funding Energy Minister Brian Wilson today: “The benefits of renewable energy are self-evident. Local businesses, the community and the environment all reap the rewards. Bioenergy is especially beneficial to the rural economy.
“We have supported our commitment to renewable energy with action. A further £60 million has been made available, bringing our total funding to nearly £350 million over four years.
“It is projects like the Balcas CHP generator that will help us reach our environmental goals, fulfil our energy needs and create employment.
“It is time for biomass projects to move forward, and I am delighted to confirm the £2 million grant to allow another project to progress.”
The new plant will use surplus sawdust and woodchips from the business to supply nearly all Balcas’ electricity needs, saving the company up to £1 million per year in electricity costs.
The heat from the new plant will be used to produce refined wood pellets - a clean fossil fuel alternative – that will generate enough heat to keep 10,000 homes warm throughout the year.
The new plant will provide added security for the forestry sector and help safeguard over 1,000 jobs in rural areas of Northern Ireland.
The Government’s recent Energy White Paper placed the renewables sector at the heart of future energy policy with its commitment to producing 10% electricity from green sources, including biomass, by 2010, as well as a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.
The Balcas CHP generator is one of several applications to be granted funding from a new £30 million allocation to promote the use of viable bioenergy technology throughout the UK.
(MB)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.