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WDC invites entrepreneurs and community development organisations to workshop.
The Western Development Commission (WDC) will host a wood energy workshop for entrepreneurs, business people and organisations working in community and local development on December 3rd in the Claregalway Hotel.
The workshop will discuss wood energy enterprise opportunities and the main factors affecting the development of the sector, and present the findings of two related projects which the WDC has just completed.
“The workshop will be of interest to local communities, LEADER companies, co-operatives and local authorities to learn how they can exploit the opportunities and benefit from the sector, while entrepreneurs and businesspeople can also hear successful examples of new wood energy businesses and learn about the role of public agencies,” said Gillian Buckley, WDC Chief Executive.
“If the Western Region develops a vibrant wood energy sector it will help stimulate rural development and create jobs, so the timing of the workshop is opportune. The region’s employment structure is vulnerable; there has been a 59% increase in the Live Register in the past 12 months; and the increase for males has been higher at 72%. The region’s wood resources present new enterprise and job opportunities,” she added.
Ian Brannigan, Development Manager at the WDC said,”The workshop is part of our work to develop the renewable energy sector. This is an area that plays to the region’s natural strengths. Our research estimates that, by 2020, using wood to produce heat energy could be worth an additional €15 million per annum to the economy, create up to 900 additional jobs in rural areas and provide €1.7 million each year to the West’s farming sector. Additionally the estimated CO2 emissions saved annually would equate to taking over 92,000 cars off our roads.”
The wood energy market in Ireland is relatively underdeveloped compared to international levels. However the Western Region has a huge opportunity to exploit the renewable resource as it has 40% of Ireland’s wood resources. The West could develop an indigenous, sustainable, renewable energy resource delivering 11% of the regions’ heat needs by 2020.
Bernadette Phelan, Regional Development Executive at the WDC said, “Previous research that we conducted found that, by 2020 the Western Region has the potential to supply over 470,000 tonnes of wood fuel each year, enough to heat more than 800 medium to large scale heat users such as hospitals, hotels, swimming pools, care homes and large office blocks. The workshop will present the findings of work that the WDC has conducted in partnership with Donegal County Council and Údarás na Gaeltachta. We will also launch two information booklets at the workshop; Wood Energy and Community Enterprise: A Guide and Wood Energy and Local Authorities: Donegal Case Study.”
Teagasc, the Irish Bioenergy Association, the National Council for Forest Research and Development (COFORD) and Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) will exhibit at the workshop and their staff will be available to deal with queries.
Attendance is free of charge but places are limited so people should contact Mary Keaveney at 094 986 1441
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by November 27th.
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