Welcome for Rose Energy’s biomass plant

Editorial Department • Published 10 Sep 2010 09:00 0 Comments

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The decision of Environment Minister, Edwin Poots to approve Rose Energy’s biomass plant at Glenavy has been welcomed by Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, Tom Elliott. He said it was a positive decision for both the local economy and environment.

Mr. Elliott said, “This plant is based on tried and tested technology and will help to safeguard the 7,000 jobs in the poultry industry by enabling compliance with the EU Nitrates Directive, and will also help Northern Ireland to meet its green energy targets. I met representatives from the companies over two years ago and was impressed by their ambitious plans, and as a region within the UK with the highest concentration of poultry producers it is a logical step that we should make full use of this waste product to produce green energy. Litter from poultry farms is traditionally used in land applications as a fertiliser because it is rich in nutrients, however legislation which came into force in January 2007 has forced producers to look at alternative methods of disposing of poultry bedding.

Whilst I recognise that many residents are opposed to this development, I have no doubt that the company will continue to address any concerns they may have.

“The project has clearly established its credentials by meeting all the requirements of Planning Service and the environmental authorities. The facility would be similar to other well proven plants in other parts of the EU and would have the potential to generate 30 megawatts of electricity, which is quite substantial and with ever increasing fossil fuel prices it is imperative that we find and embrace other forms of renewable energy sources. Recent reports indicate that biomass could provide 10%-15% of the UK’s energy by 2050 and I feel that the UK government have failed to recognise the way biomass could help in tackling climate change and also provide new opportunities for farming and forestry, at the same time improving the security of the country’s energy supply. The price of oil is at $73 a barrel this week and is the clearest sign yet that the era of cheap oil is over, so we must embrace alternative renewable energy sources.

“In these harsh economic times this multi million pound investment should be welcomed by the agricultural community, construction industry and the local economy,” he stated.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 09 Sep 10

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