Other News In Brief

New Waste-To-Energy Gasfication Plant To Be Developed In NI

A contract worth over €202 million has been awarded to Bouygues Energies & Services, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, to deliver a turnkey waste-to-energy gasification plant in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The firm will be responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction of the 15 MWe facility, and will also carry out operation and maintenance for 17 years.

Jean-Christophe Perraud, CEO of Bouygues Energies & Services, said: "This new contract follows on the contract that we signed in February for the 10 MWe waste-to-energy gasification plant in Hoddesdon, England. It confirms Bouygues Energies & Services’ capacity to deliver a large, complex industrial project in the energy infrastructure sector. The new facility will go a long way towards helping Northern Ireland achieve its annual targets for recycling and generating energy from renewable sources."

The waste-to-energy facility will contribute to treating more than 150,000 tonnes of feedstock derived from local commercial and industrial waste and will enable Northern Ireland to save 50,000 tonnes of carbon per year.

Construction work is to begin in January 2016 and is expected to be complete in late 2017.

UUP MLA Expresses Sadness Over Death Of Co Tyrone Singer Ivan Vaughan

Ulster Unionist MP, Tom Elliott, has expressed his sadness at the death of Ivan Vaughan from Caledon.

Mr Vaughan lost his life in the floods near Glaslough, County Monaghan, on Sunday.

Mr Elliott said: "Ivan was well known in music circles for over four decades. He played in many of the leading show bands in the 60's and 70's and was a hugely popular and highly respected figure.

"He went under the stage name of Simon Scott and was especially well known in the Cookstown and Dungannon areas where he was extremely popular. He moved to Caledon in recent years and was held in the highest esteem by everyone who knew him and I extend our deepest sympathies to the entire family circle at this tragic time."

SDLP Accuses McGuinness Of Being 'Out Of Touch'

SDLP West Belfast MLA Alex Attwood has accused Martin McGuinness of being out of touch or out of depth, after referring to the surrender of welfare powers and welfare reductions as "a technicality".

Mr Attwood said: "Two weeks ago, Sinn Féin and the DUP surrendered welfare powers to London. Without a second of scrutiny from the Assembly, this means Sinn Féin and the DUP agreed a benefits freeze for four years, gave London the power to unilaterally reduce the benefits cap and much besides.

"Today, in the Assembly chamber, the deputy First Minister referred to this as 'a technicality'.

"Does the deputy First Minister know what he signed up to in 'Fresh Start'? Does he know that the DUP/Sinn Féin Legislative Consent Motion means a benefit freeze for four years? Tell that to those on benefits, those who will have real income decreases over the next four years, tell them that all of this is a 'technicality'.

"Mr McGuinness showed that he is out of touch with people on welfare or out of his depth on the impact of the LCM or both. Sinn Féin surrender devolution powers, sign up to welfare cuts and then call it a 'technicality'."

(CD/LM)