€20m project defended by bio-diesel pioneer

ONE of the men behind plans to develop the Republic’s first bio-diesel plant launched a strong defence of the project yesterday.

"This is the way of the future. It has to be the way of the future," Patrick Howard said.

His family got the green light from Cork County Council planners earlier this month to build an estimated €20 million bio-diesel production plant on an 11-acre family-owned site on rolling farmland near Kildorrery in north Cork.

It is on what was once the demesne of Bowens' Court Country House.

The decision was made despite recommendations from a senior planner that the project be refused in this location. Furious locals questioned the planning process and the suitability of the Farrahy site.

But Mr Howard hit back at objectors yesterday.

He said the site was deemed logistically and technically to be the best site.

Mr Howard said senior council officials who made the final planning decision agreed there was no need to contravene the county development plan.

The project supports rural industries and the production of a renewable energy source, he said.

The technology is based on a hi-tech bio-fuel plant in Austria, which is also based in a rural area.

And farmers who grow sugar beet, devastated last week by the closure of the Mallow plant, could benefit from the project, he said.

"We would hope to issue contracts to local farmers to grow rape seed," he said.

Two other sites in Foynes and Ringaskiddy were examined but the Farrahy one was deemed most suitable.

"This site is close to Cork and Dublin for recovered oil. It is close to the Midlands meat rendering plants," Mr Howard said.

Locals said they also have concerns about chemicals to be used and about possible emissions from the facility.

But Mr Howard said the chemicals are the same used in other production process like the manufacture of Coca Cola.

Fears about sulphuric acid were unfounded, he said.

"It is used in every milking parlour in the country," he said.

But the Kildorrery and Shanballymore Concerned Residents' Group remain unconvinced.

Spokesman Tony Gallagher said people can't understand how planning was granted despite the concerns of senior planning officials.

"What's the point of employing senior planners if they are going to ignore their advice," he said.

Locals are not against bio-diesel but are against the current location, he said.

"Large volumes of chemicals will be stored on site. We are fearful of the unknown.

Mr Howard said the family has yet to apply for an Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) licence from the Environmental Protection Agency.

An appeal to An Bórd Pleanala could delay the project by up to six months.