£40 million Tyrone investment being held up because of inadequate electricity infrastructure

dale farm 1
It’s been claimed a major investment into Tyrone is being blocked because there is not sufficient energy infrastructure west of the Bann.
Dale Farm’s chief executive David Dobbin said his company planned a 40 million pounds investment in Cookstown, but could not do so. He told the BBC’s Inside Business programme that while planning had been approved, but the correct electricity and gas facilities were not in place.
David Dobbin claimed today that Northern Ireland Electricity had suggested moving the Cookstown project to Ballymena in County Antrim, because there was plenty of power there.
Describing the process as “frustrating”, he said Dale Farm wants to put a £40m investment into Cookstown. The company has supoport from Invest NI and he government, but os waiting until gas arrives becauser at present, the electricity suppliers can’t help them.
He said they are trying to bring investment to the area West of the Bann, but rather than facilitating that, Northern Ireland Electricity seems to be saying “you must come to where it suits us”.
Dale Farm is Northern Ireland’s largest dairy business, producing milk, cream, cheese, butter, dairy spreads, yogurts and desserts.

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