New Soltec plant opens after multi-million euro investment
The opening of a newly developed five-acre waste treatment and recovery facility at the IDA Business Park, Clonmore, Mullingar on Friday is the culmination of a multi-million investment programme that Soltec (Ireland) Ltd began in 2016.
Peter Burke TD, Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, who carried out the official opening that “Soltec not only puts Mullingar on the national stage but on an international platform”.
He said years of development and investment by the company have resulted in innovative technology, making them leaders in sustainable waste management to the benefit of their customers and our environment.
“Their growth is the result of hard work, resilience and ambition and I know they will continue to build on their success in the coming years,” he said. Following a tour of the facility, Minister Burke congratulated Soltec for taking leadership in sustainability.
Soltec are industry leaders in providing environmentally sound and sustainable services to the Irish hazardous waste industry, and 93% of the hazardous waste that Soltec accept is recycled and repurposed into new products.
The newly opened facility can manage 20,000 tonnes of waste on an annual basis, an increase of 300% on previous capacity.
Also in attendance at the launch were representatives from Enterprise Ireland, Mark Christal, manager, Food, Sustainability and Climate Change at Enterprise Ireland, who said: “Soltec are excellent examples of Irish green innovators. Delivering sustainable solutions to the waste management industry for 25 years now, Soltec’s technology has made a significant contribution to circular economy principles in the sector.
“The opening of this new facility is great news, and will allow the team to increase capacity, and further expand operations and investment in sustainability and renewable energy production.
“A key goal for Enterprise Ireland is to support enterprise with building innovation capability, and in the transition to the low-carbon, resource-efficient economy of the future. We are proud to have worked closely with Soltec over the years and we look forward to continuing to support the team in this ambitious new phase of growth.”
Soltec was established in 1994 by Mullingar businessman Michael Corcoran, who recognised the potential to recycle and repurpose hazardous waste that was, at the time, being shipped out of the country.
Mr Corcoran said that the investment in the new facility was based on “industry needs in providing local and responsible solutions to waste treatment” and that “the new facility and the investment in world-class technology positions the company to greatly expand our domestic waste management operations”.
In 2011, Michael’s son David Corcoran, who has a background in environmental science, was appointed to the role of operations director, and he took the lead in developing the new facility.
David emphasised that central to the investment programme was “the need to reduce the national reliance on the exporting of hazardous waste” and that the “future of waste treatment in Ireland has to be focused on responsible ways to recycle and repurpose the waste we generate”.
Alongside the investment in infrastructure, Soltec has doubled its workforce over the last five years, diversifying its skills base across the fields of QC chemistry, manufacturing and engineering.
Soltec has been shortlisted for a 2022 Pakman Award. The award ceremony is on October 29. They are also shortlisted for the Mullingar Chamber of Commerce Award in the category of Excellence in Sustainability and Climate Action (the award ceremony is on Friday November 4).
Local construction and service providers used in facility development included JA Gorman (design and project management), Writech (fire protection engineering) and Crossdoney Construction and Design CCD (main contractor).