Last week Encirc, whose headquarters are in Derrylin in Co Fermanagh, played host to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. and Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband at its site in Elton Cheshire.
The high-level visit saw the PM announce a £22 billion investment in carbon capture and storage in the north west and north east of England.
A commitment to green energy, to new jobs and a new way of operating that will sustain manufacturing in these economically challenged areas in much need of investment well into the future.
It is an example of what can be achieved, of how sustainable manufacturing in line with net zero ambitions can become a reality.
The regional emphasis of this announcement is significant, because Northern Ireland and Fermanagh are similarly economically challenged.
The PM said in Elton that he wants the UK to lead the way, get ahead of the game and we hope his comments will not have gone unnoticed at Stormont.
Encirc, which is part of the Spanish-based Vidrala Group, is a key player in global glass production. It manufactures more than three billion glass containers each year, serving some of the world’s leading food and drinks brands.
With operations in Derrylin, Elton, and Bristol, it is at the forefront of sustainable innovation in the glass industry.
Encirc’s Fermanagh plant is embedded in the community, contributing to local groups to support projects with a purpose as well as employing over 500 people working across a range of functions. It is an accredited Living Wage employer, and provides a range health and wellbeing supports for staff.
It is a high energy business, committed to sustainability. In 2021, it produced glass with a 90% carbon reduction, but the company wants decarbonisation to become the norm rather than the exception.
Whilst there are specific, geographically-based challenges the Derrylin plant must work around, such as the increased energy and logistics, the benefits of investing in this region far outweigh the costs.
That’s why the delivery of the Mid South West Deal, which Treasury put on hold a matter of weeks ago, can start addressing the gaps in equality of investment that have held places like Fermanagh back from delivering their economic, environmental and social potential.
The Prime Minister’s visit and his announcement at our Elton plant is a major boost for a region that needs investment, and so we now look to Stormont and UK Government to ensure this approach is replicated across communities on this side of the Irish Sea too.
- Sean Murphy is managing director of Encirc in Fermanagh
