TWO businesses in Northern Ireland will receive a combined £3.6 million of UK Government funding to reduce their energy costs and cut carbon emissions.
South Derry construction firm FP McCann Ltd has been awarded £3.39 million for energy efficiency improvements of its crushing and concrete manufacturing process at its Craigall Quarry in Kilrea.
And organics recycling company Natural World Products (NWP) in Dunmurry, a producer of peat-free composts and soil conditioners, will get nearly £300,000 for fuel switching projects, replacing diesel-powered plant equipment with more modern and cutting edge equivalents that are fully powered by electricity.
The funding is part of a wider government pot of £24.3m funding awarded through the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), which supports businesses using high amounts of energy to reduce their fossil fuel using innovative low-carbon technologies.
This will help companies save on their energy costs, which in turn will safeguard jobs and help grow the economy – one of the government’s five priorities.
A spokesman at NWP said: “This funding has allowed us to make significant further greenhouse gas emissions savings at one of our key processing facilities by enabling it to replace a number of key items of diesel-powered plant and equipment with more modern and cutting edge equivalents that are fully powered by electricity, generated by the company’s on-site wind turbines further adding to the carbon capture benefits of the overall project.”
Energy-intensive industries are responsible for 11 per cent of the UK’s total emissions and represent over 70 per cent of UK industrial emissions.
And while the UK has cut emissions by over 44 per cent since 1990 - decarbonising faster than any other G7 country - it is estimated that industry will still need to cut their emissions by two thirds by 2035 if the country is to achieve its net zero target.
Minister for Energy Efficiency Lord Callanan said: “Some of Northern Ireland’s most vital industries are also those with high energy use. This funding will allow them to use the latest technologies to cut their emissions and their reliance on fossil fuels –helping to future-proof these industries as we grow our green economy.
“This will not only cut their energy costs but also boost their competitiveness on the world stage, helping them thrive and protecting the thousands of jobs they offer across the country.”