£0.5 million for Irish wood plant

A reprocessing plant that will be able to recycle 35,000 tonnes of wood every year has received a grant of £500,000 in Northern Ireland.


The new plant will be the first of its kind and will be set up in Newry, Co Down, by Urban Forest Ltd.

The funding has come from the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) which believes the plant will revolutionise wood recycling in the country.

The plant, when complete, will process huge quantities of waste wood to produce high quality animal bedding as well as feedstock for making chipboard and biomass for renewable energy production.

The WRAP funding for the £2 million plant was awarded through an open competition process.

“WRAP’s capital grant to Urban Forest has provided a significant boost to the growth of markets for recycled wood products in Northern Ireland,” said Stephen Aston, head of waste management, Department of the Environment.

“The continuing support the Department gives to WRAP is a key means of developing recycling markets in Northern Ireland and getting the most out of these materials.”

Tom Fourcade, WRAP’s material sector manager for wood, said: “Urban Forest’s Newry plant will set a new benchmark for wood recycling in Northern Ireland as it will show how sophisticated reprocessing sites can produce a range of competitive added value products.

“We are proud to support this investment that will make a significant contribution to sustainable waste management in Northern Ireland.”

By Sam Bond

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