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ARRIVAL OF NATURAL GAS IN WEST

CELEBRATED AT OFFICIAL LAUNCH EVENT

SGN NATURAL GAS EVENT
THE COMPLETION of the main ground in the wider network area. choice to consumers in the west who
construction phase of the ‘Gas to the Leading Northern Ireland have been heavily reliant on solid fuel
West’ pipeline, bringing natural gas manufacturing companies who have and oil. As natural gas is the cleanest
to major towns in the western area of already converted their production fossil fuel available, it can help to
Northern Ireland, has been announced lines to natural gas across the newly reduce greenhouse gas emissions as
at an event held to thank the local extended network area include well as offer a more efficient fuel option
community, business partners and LacPatrick Dairies, Encirc, Dale Farm, to businesses, the public sector and
stakeholders who have supported the Moy Park and Linergy. domestic consumers.
successful delivery of the project. Economy Minister Diane Dodds “By enabling businesses to drive
Representing an investment of welcomed provision of the new gas efficiency savings, we can potentially
over £250million, Gas to the West is infrastructure. She said: “I would help them to be more competitive
being delivered SGN Natural Gas in like to congratulate Mutual Energy in both local and global markets.
partnership with Mutual Energy and has and SGN Natural Gas, and their Converting to natural gas will allow
the potential to meet the energy needs contractors, on their success in businesses to reduce their carbon
of up to 40,000 homes and businesses delivering this significant energy emissions, significantly reducing their
across the Fermanagh, Tyrone and project. The project has been footprint on the environment.”
Derry/Londonderry counties. supported with grant funding up to Paddy Larkin, Chief Executive
The final piece of the new network £31.6 million administered by the of Mutual Energy which owns and
was commissioned in December Department for the Economy. operates the new high-pressure
2019, with natural gas now available “I look forward to the continued roll- pipeline into the west, said the project
to Artigarvan, Coalisland, Cookstown, out of new gas distribution networks was already making a real difference
Derrylin, Dungannon, Enniskillen, in each of the eight towns in the West, to consumers and the local economy:
Magherafelt, Omagh and Strabane. eventually providing some 40,000 “This is a major, complex, and strategic
Approximately 500 jobs were business and domestic consumers with project that required a diverse range
created during the construction phase, additional fuel choice and increasing of skills and engineering techniques
which was applauded for its technical the potential for businesses, the public and has ultimately delivered the most
innovation, traversing almost 50 sector and households to use a cleaner, efficient and cost-effective solution
river crossings and significant roads more efficient fuel.” for gas consumers and the wider
including the M1 motorway. Speaking at the event held in community in the western area of
The recent delivery of the network Dungannon to showcase the project in Northern Ireland. We are delighted that
to the gateways of all the target towns the heart of the new network area, SGN the benefits of natural gas are now for
is a major milestone for what is widely Natural Gas Director, Danny O’Malley the first time available to businesses
regarded as one of the most significant said there was “exceptional demand” and homes in the Gas to the West area
energy infrastructure projects across for natural gas and he looked forward to and we look forward to many more
the province in a generation. It is the future growth of the network. customers connecting and using clean,
anticipated that when fully completed, He said: “The project originated from convenient and competitive natural gas
almost 600km of pipeline will be in the a need to offer an alternative energy in the years to come.”

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13/02/2020 13:35
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IGEMNews_IndAffliates.indd 2 13/02/2020 13:35