Jobs warning over NI power plant
Hundreds of future jobs would be at risk if approval is given for a new power station in County Antrim, a NI pharmaceutical boss has claimed.
Rose Energy is asking for planning permission to build the plant, which will use poultry litter and bone meal as an energy source, near Glenavy. But Peter Fitzgerald of Randox Laboratories says it could force his firm out of nearby Crumlin. He said plans to create 354 jobs would be at risk if the plan succeeds.
The chief executive is worried about potential emissions from the proposed plant. "We export more than 97 per cent of what we produce to over 130 countries around the world and employ more than 800 because of our hard-earned success," he said.
"I will not sit back and allow that to be put at risk. We simply cannot permit this growing business to be threatened and appeal to the minister to throw out this planning application. Our five-year business plan conservatively includes an additional 354 jobs and they will immediately be at risk if the application succeeds."
Three of Northern Ireland's biggest agri-food companies are behind the plan to build the proposed £100m biomass power plant near Glenavy. Rose Energy is a joint enterprise involving O'Kane Poultry, Moy Park and Glenfarm Holdings.
Homes
If it gets the go-ahead, the plant will use 250,000 tonnes of litter and meat and bone meal a year. Up until now most of that has been used as fertiliser. However, European Union directives on nitrates and phosphates mean that is no longer an option.
The plant expects to provide enough energy to power 25,000 homes.
Rose Energy says the plant will "employ best available burning technology and supplement this with flue gas cleaning equipment to control emissions". It says monitoring results sent to the Environment and Heritage Service NI "on a regular basis will confirm this".
Randox Laboratories produces diagnostic kits for use in hospital, clinical and veterinary laboratories. Mr Fitzgerald said approval of the Rose Energy application may force Randox from its Crumlin site to its manufacturing plant in Donegal or other locations.
It is understood a decision could be made on the application before Christmas.
Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2009/12/02 11:01:01 GMT
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