Economic Forum welcomes Dundalk jobs announcement

Padraic White

Louth Economic Forum chairperson Padraic White has welcomed the announcement that Cellulac plc is to provide 30 jobs at a retrofitted facility at the former Harp Lager Brewery site.

The new jobs were announced earlier today and were described as “fantastic news” by Mr White.

“This is fantastic news, as it shows further commitment to the former brewery site which along with the Irish Whiskey Company now makes it home to two major facilities.

“The indirect benefits via support for agricultural jobs and local taxes as noted by Cellulac plc makes the news for Dundalk and the town’s rural hinterland even sweeter.”

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• Cellulac to create 30 new jobs in Dundalk at former brewery site (talkofthetown.ie)

Cellulac to create 30 new jobs in Dundalk at former brewery site

Cellulac plc is to create 30 new jobs in Dundalk for the sustainable production of lactic acid from second generation (2G) feedstocks. It is the first company to convert brewery facilities for this purpose.

Cellulac is leasing a 6.8 acre site from John Teeling’s Irish Whiskey Company, which is developing a distillery on the balance of the 13 acre site which was until recently the home of Harp Lager and the second largest brewery in Ireland.

Cellulac intends to retrofit the facility and incorporate its end-to-end chemical and process engineering platform to produce Lactic Acid and Polylactic Acid for biodegradable plastics, Ethyl Lactate, a green solvent, and Sodium Lactate.

The company has produced lactic acid at a pilot plant in Potsdam, Germany. It expects to ramp up production at the facility initially to 20,000 tonnes per annum, which will have a revenue value in excess of €40 million, for export by the end of 2015. Operations are expected to commence by June 2014.

The company is targeting a US$1.6bn market for lactic acid based biochemical.

“Ireland has a world-wide reputation for quality food ingredients derived from the agricultural sector. It is fitting, therefore, that we are at the forefront of the new bio-economy sector,” Cellulac CEO Gerard Brandon said.

“With the support of the European Union we will convert, part of what was until recently, the 2nd largest brewery in Ireland into what will be the largest producer of lactic acid from agricultural waste and dairy by-products.

“This will not only directly breath new opportunity into Dundalk by creating 30 jobs, but it will also indirectly support agricultural jobs in the rural community and generate local taxes that will benefit the area,” Brandon added.

Minister for Science and Innovation, Sean Sherlock TD, welcomed the jobs announcement.

He said: “I am delighted at this announcement by the company of its plans to create 30 new jobs for Dundalk. This is a shining example of EU and Government supporting science and innovation to cross-over to industry. We are delighted to be involved in this environmentally friendly project that not only creates new jobs, increases GDP and exports but contributes to the reduction of our country’s lower carbon emission targets to benefit the community as a whole.”

Cellulac planning €50m investment in Dundalk

Cellulac, an innovative Irish company chaired by serial entrepreneur Gerry Brandon, is working on plans to invest €50m in an industrial biochemical plant near Dundalk, according to a report in yesterday’s Sunday Independent.

The company is understood to be in talks with Enterprise Ireland about creating 60 new direct jobs in the region.

Earlier this month, Cellulac agreed terms with Pursuit Dynamics (PDX), a Cambridge technology business, to buy its marine drive subsidiary for £1m (€1.15m) as part of its expansion plans.

In May, Cellulac signed a €3m joint-venture agreement with two partners to develop biodegradable human implants and bring them to market.

It intends for its proposed new business in Dundalk, however, to be making lactic acid, which is used in everything from preserving food to making plastic bags. The market for the chemical is valued at €1bn worldwide and growing.

When contacted by the Sunday Independent, Mr Brandon said: “We’re not in a position to comment yet, but we are certainly looking at a number of operations, one of which is in Ireland, but we cannot confirm anything at this point.”

Mr Brandon previously founded Alltracel, a wound-care company that he listed on London’s AIM before the business was sold for €32m in 2008. Cellulac is understood to be looking to raise funds to invest in its Dundalk plant from the London stock markets.

Source: Cellulac plans €50m biochemcial plant in northeast (Sunday Independent)