An additional 60 jobs are to be created at the smokeless coal manufacturer CPL Industries, 40 of which will be created at its plant in Foynes, Co Limerick ahead of the rollout of a smoky coal ban nationwide.
The company announced two years ago that it was to create 142 jobs for the country in Foynes to expand its manufacturing capabilities in Ireland, but this had been threatened following what was considered then as a lack of regulations regarding smokeless coal.
However, following the news last month that the smoky coal ban was to expand nationwide, CPL Industries has confirmed that it can create the additional 60 jobs on top of the 142 as part of their second phase of development, according to The Irish Times.
Of the 60 jobs to be created, CPL Industries says that 40 of them will be based at the plant to be built at Foynes as part of a €22m investment, which will be paired with a further €15m to be spent on developing a new pyrolysis unit that will be able to turn landfill and other waste into material for smokeless coal.
By 2018, the company plans to have more than 200 employees in Ireland, along with its UK operations.
Speaking of what this means for the future of smokeless coal production in Ireland, CPL Industries’ CEO, Tim Minett, said: “A 500,000 tonne domestic market awaits due to the smoky coal ban but we see export opportunities as well, as subsidies for coal mines will end in Germany, for example, in 2018, resulting in the closure of mines there.
“This will result in a market of hundreds of thousands of tonnes alone coming on stream and we believe Foynes and Ireland is well placed to go for that market with this and other low-smoke alternatives.”
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