Capper Trading to develop £6m renewable energy hub
Tamnamore animal feed and bedding manufacturer, Capper Trading is investing £6 million to develop a renewable energy hub. The investment is co-funded by the Shared Island Sustainability Capital Grant scheme with a grant of £1.39 million.
This multi-million-pound investment will see the company install solar panels and batteries across two sites at Tamnamore to generate its own electricity and manufacture low carbon feed and bedding. The company also plans to electrify its transport fleet to reduce transport emissions.
Kieran Donoghue, Chief Executive of Invest Northern Ireland said:
We are working with businesses throughout Northern Ireland to invest in green energy technologies to drive their competitiveness, productivity and green growth. Today's announcement by Capper Trading is a result of this work and highlights its commitment to sustainable energy practices. The project will use interconnected solar panels to generate renewable energy and contributes to the regions net zero and sustainability targets.
Capper Trading manufactures animal feed and bedding and provides bulk feed transportation services to the agricultural industry. It operates over 60 lorries throughout the UK and Ireland, delivering over 10,000 tonnes per week.
Subject to planning approvals, the new hub will generate 3.1 million units of renewable electricity per year, removing over 1250 tonnes of carbon from company emissions.
Matthew Steenson, Director and Group General Manager at Capper Trading said:
Our aim is to become a carbon‑free manufacturer within the animal feed and bedding sector. This investment in solar marks a major step in reducing our carbon emissions and supplying customers with low‑carbon products. As part of our wider decarbonisation strategy, we aim to transition our plant and machinery to electric alternatives, while also exploring technologies that will reduce emissions from our lorry fleet over time.
The new sustainable hub will provide a clean, reliable supply of electricity to our Agri Hub and will form a key part of our long‑term strategy. Using bi‑directional technology, it will uniquely connect our two locations at either side of the motorway, creating an integrated, first‑of‑its‑kind system. The hub will also lower operational costs, enabling further investment in the near future.
The Shared Island Sustainability Capital Grant is part of the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme delivered by InterTradeIreland, Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.
This is one of three projects in Northern Ireland which has received funding from the Shared Island Sustainability Capital Grant Scheme awards made by Invest Northern Ireland. Kieran added:
It is fantastic to see another announcement of this scale in Mid Ulster following O&S Doors last month. This investment will bring local benefits to the economy and supply chain with Capper Trading using suppliers in County Down to source and supply project equipment. The new hub also has the potential to inspire other business to invest in renewable energy.
