Tyrone factory plans to turn wood dust into electricity, an island first

O&S Doors near Benburb is installing a biomass-fuelled combined heat and power system to burn MDF dust and generate electricity for its factory, supported by a £2.4m grant from the Shared Island Sustainability Capital Scheme. The company says the system could produce about 6.3 million units of energy and begin generating by early 2027.

O&S Doors, a door manufacturer just outside Benburb in County Tyrone, has announced a multimillion-pound plan to install an onsite biomass-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) system. The company says the system will use wood dust produced in its MDF panel manufacturing to generate electricity and heat for parts of the factory. The announcement is presented as a first for the island of Ireland and is supported by funding from the Shared Island Sustainability Capital Grant Scheme. Key details: - O&S Doors plans a £9m investment to install a biomass-fuelled CHP system, with a £2.4m grant from the Shared Island Sustainability Capital Grant Scheme. - The system is described as designed to harness MDF dust that is currently transported offsite for processing in Europe or sent to landfill, and to produce about 6.3 million units of energy. - Company figures reported the system would burn in excess of 10,000 tonnes of MDF dust per year to generate around 1MW of electricity and save roughly 1,500 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. - Dermot O'Brien of O&S Doors said the technology has been worked on for about eight years and the company aims to be generating its own electricity by early 2027. - First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald visited the factory and spoke about the project as a local success and example of industry adopting sustainable technologies. - The company employs about 400 people in the area; the report also noted recent local announcements of potential job losses at other facilities in County Tyrone. Summary: The project is intended to reuse a manufacturing by-product to provide heat and electricity for the factory, reduce offsite disposal of MDF dust, and lower the firm's reported carbon footprint. Installation and commissioning are planned with the aim of having the system operational by early 2027, while the scheme is funded in part by the Shared Island Sustainability Capital Grant; further outcomes and local economic effects are undetermined at this time.