Business News

Bord na Móna commits to new sustainable business

By Business & Finance
06 October 2015
Bord na mona

Bord na Móna has announced the company will transition from energy peat harvesting into new businesses by 2030.

At present, 125,000 acres of bogland are being used to provide energy peat to three power stations.

After 2030, Bord na Móna will no longer harvest energy peat and will have completed its move to new sustainable businesses, located across its bogs and landholding.

The move will provide new biodiverse habitats that can also support new eco-tourism and community amenity resources.

Mike Quinn, CEO, Bord na Móna, said: “Bord na Móna has a mandate from the Irish people to develop the natural resources located on these bogs for the benefit of the Irish people. That mandate means our business was, is and will remain rooted in the bogs of Ireland. For the last eight decades we have underpinned Ireland’s energy security by supplying peat from Irish bogs to power stations.

By 2030 we will cease harvesting energy peat but we will be making sure those 125,000 acres do more. We will use the land to continue to underpin Ireland’s energy independence only now we will be using green sustainable energy sources such as wind, biomass and solar power.

John Horgan, chairman, Bord na Móna, added: “Today’s announcement is an historic one for our great company. The task of reorienting Bord na Móna from being nearly solely focused on energy peat into other business areas has been going on for some time. By announcing the 2030 target today we are for the first time, putting an end date on that transition period. The change is significant not just in terms of the land use but in terms both of how we perceive ourselves and how we will be perceived. Whatever else changes however will continue to be a company that is rooted in the Irish bogs, delivering in many different ways for the Irish people and the State.”