ARMSTRONG WELCOMES VISIONARY PLAN TO CONVERT WASTE TO ENERGY
Mid Ulster Assemblyman Billy Armstrong has described as “visionary” the plan by two of Northern Ireland’s largest poultry producers to build a £100m biomass power station to produce energy from waste, in this case, chicken litter, at a site near Glenavy in County Antrim.
The Ulster Unionist MLA said;
“I welcome these proposals from Moy Park and O’Kane Poultry.
The power station which they propose would deliver 30 megawatts of electricity, fuelled mainly by poultry bedding, and this would provide enough energy to power a town the size of Larne.
The plant itself would create 30 jobs, but would also safeguard over 7,000 jobs in the local poultry and agri-food sector. It hardly needs to be said that these jobs are vital to the local economy, particularly to the rural economy which has faced great challenges in recent times. These are local jobs, with local firms, supplying high quality food to leading supermarkets both in Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
Environmental issues are rightly taking centre stage in the public debate with an increasing focus on issues such as waste management, recycling etc.
We must seriously address the challenges we face, and also seek potential solutions, such as waste to power. As existing sources of energy are exhausted, alternatives must be found and utilised. Waste – both farm, industrial and domestic - must be an obvious field for exploration as an alternative source of energy.
An EU Directive which came into force in January 2007 restricts the amount of fertiliser which farmers can spread on land. These proposals will help dispose of poultry bedding in a way which brings positive benefits for society – namely power - while at the same time reducing waste and the amount of material which would previously have been spread on land.
A great opportunity has been presented to the Executive. This will be a test of their commitment to joined up Government, particularly for the Department of the Environment and DETI. This scheme will improve the environment and generate renewable energy. These are two aims which these Departments are already committed to.
The ball is very firmly in their court. The Private Sector has come forward with a solution. Government must not be seen to let red tape, bureaucracy or inter-departmental turf wars cause this opportunity to be lost.”