Bord na Mona (BNM) expects to reduce its peat-related employment by up to 50% over the next 12 years, acting managing director Michael Barry has warned.
The semi-state company, which remains fully committed to its target of ceasing to use peat to produce electricity by 2030, estimated the bulk of the job losses will be in the Midlands region.
Currently, the average age of BNM peat workers is 56-57 years so the company hopes natural retirements will play a significant role in the labour reduction.
Speaking to AgriLand website at BNM headquarters in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Barry said job losses will be inevitable as the company aims to ensure that 96% of the power it generates by 2030 will be from renewables.
“In terms of the peat side, we could see a 50% reduction, maybe more, by 2030 in employment.
“There are some newer younger people; but we believe there will continue to be jobs up to 2030 as we develop the biomass side of the business, giving rise to new jobs.
“People will be re-deployed into other areas such as processing or chipping logs; there will be various jobs associated with handling the biomass,” he said.
As it stands, about 125,000ac of bogs – around 60% of BNM’s total land bank – is used to provide peat as fuel for three power stations.
By 2030, biomass fuel will have completely replaced peat supplied to BNM’s power plant at Edenderry, Co. Offaly, and also at the two ESB peat-using plants – Lanesborough, Co. Longford and Shannonbridge, Co. Offaly.
Kildare
“I can’t give any particular sites at the moment but there are a number of sites we are looking at in Offaly and Kildare in particular,” Barry said.
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