“We have immediate capacity to install up to 135MW of biomass-fuelled heat from local forestry sources which will displace the equivalent of 50 million litres or approximately €25 million of imported oil, with a corresponding reduction of 200,000 tonnes in carbon emissions,” said Joe O’Carroll, Managing Director of Imperative Energy. “This is enough to heat on average 15,000 homes - a town the size of Naas or Drogheda - 700 schools, 135 hospitals, or 65 pharmaceutical plants using only locally produced woodchip. Our plan is to achieve a good balance across all these customer types throughout Ireland over the next five years, while simultaneously working with the agricultural community to develop our bioenergy supply base to allow for even further growth.”
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Minister Ryan acknowledged the uniqueness of a partnership between a forestry company and a construction/engineering company. “The business model being pursued by Imperative Energy not only adds greater value to Irish forestry produce but it also contributes to the Government’s aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the greater uptake of renewable energy technologies,” said the Minister. “By 2020, we want to have achieved 20% energy savings with one third of energy coming from renewable sources, and it is through innovation and collaboration such as this within the energy sector in Ireland that we will seek to not only reach, but exceed, these targets.”
(CD)
