Tyrone Constitution, News for Tyrone and Ireland

Nigel Dunlop has this month joined Moy Park as managing director, becoming only the second to hold the title since 1983. Dr Trefor Campbell, who has held the role since that date, was appointed non-executive chairman of the Moy Park Group last autumn.
Nigel Dunlop, age 51, comes to Moy Park from the Gallaher Group plc where he has been executive director, sitting on the main plc board, since 2002. Gallaher was ranked 47th in the FTSE 100 prior to being acquired by Japan Tobacco last year. He is credited with playing a key role in Gallaher’s transformation from a largely UK business into one of the largest and most efficient tobacco companies worldwide.
He is also a non-executive director of Warburton’s, the UK’s largest independent bakers and currently ranked the UK’s 2nd biggest grocery brand.
Nigel Dunlop joined Gallaher in 1980 as a management trainee following a spell working overseas, mainly in Asia (Hong Kong and Nepal). He has held a variety of posts across the Gallaher business and was responsible for overseeing a series of initiatives aimed at improving business performance.

Originally educated in Northern Ireland, he returned to live there with his wife and four children in 1997, having worked away in the intervening period.
Since his appointment to Moy Park was announced last September, he has managed to spend time acquainting himself with his new colleagues across the Moy Park Group – which employs over 7000 people on 12 sites – and the complexities and intrigues of the poultry business which, like so much of the British agri-business, is again facing many tough challenges this year.

Moy Park Group chairman, Dr Trefor Campbell, himself a major figure in the poultry industry, was presented at the end of last year with the Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association’s prestigious Award for making an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Northern Ireland Food & Drink’. This came shortly after also being awarded BOCM Paul’s ‘Man of the Year’, as judged by peers from across the GB poultry business.
Said Campbell: “We looked long and hard to find an individual of Nigel’s calibre and experience. His evident commercial successes speak for themselves. That he hails from Northern Ireland can only be a bonus in understanding the special culture that is Moy Park.”

For those who can cast their minds back to the first weekend of August 2007 they may recollect one extremely wet Sunday. What made this different from any other wet Irish Sunday I hear you ask? Well, if you had been on any road approaching the Cooley peninsula, County Louth you will recall that you were probably behind or in front of a vintage tractor, for that was the very historic day when a new world record was set – with 4572 pre-1977 tractors and implements working simultaneously in one field.

The record attempt was foremost in peoples minds on the day, but following closely behind that was the desire to raise as much money as possible for charity. As has been the custom since the first Cooley vintage festival was held back in 1988, all monies raised as a result of the event are handed over to charities both North and South of the border, with each subsequent festival starting with an empty pot.
Since the first Cooley Vintage Festival the total amount handed over to charities has been a tremendous €1.5 million. True to form, the poor weather experienced in 2007 did not deter those in attendance, or indeed sponsors, from digging deep and giving generously. With tractors having been brought from every county in Ireland as well as throughout the UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, South Africa and the USA the tremendous amount of €200,000 was raised to donate to charities. Thanks was extended at the presentation evening to all those who travelled from far and wide with their machines to help in the effort and ultimately create a new world record.
Saturday 12th January 2008 saw representatives from 24 charities gather in the Cooley Kickham’s football club, Cooley to receive their donations. The date was very fitting as it transpired to be the eve of the first anniversary of the initial planning meeting for the record attempt. John Maguire of the Cooley Vintage Festival committee, who acted as MC on the evening, commented on the fact the those in South Africa who started off the whole tractor world record event spent three years planning their initial event and yet look what the Irish managed to achieve in a matter of months!
Testament was paid to the tremendous amount of work carried out by the organizing committee to bring the idea to fruition. Special mention was made of John Hanlon, the man behind the initial festival in 1988 and indeed the host for that and every subsequent event. Unfortunately John was unable to be present at the presentation evening but was ably represented by his family members. Two people who shouldered much of the work and organization who received a well deserved thank you were Caroline Hanlon, John’s daughter and Bridie Magee the committee secretary.
The charities who received donations were many and varied, ranging from church groups in the Cooley area, hospices and Eastern European aid groups to those tackling diseases such as cystic fibrosis, motor neurone disease and cancer. As has always been the case with this event the charities supported were from both Northern and Southern Ireland.
All recipients spoke of their delight at receiving donations, outlined how the money would be spent and told of what a difference it would make to the lives of those affected.
As is customary in Cooley, excellent hospitality was extended to all present, bringing a very enjoyable evening, and indeed the Cooley world record attempt 2007, to a close.

Renewables body calls on Govt to act now to deliver 2020 targets on time

BWEA, the body representing the UK’s wind, wave & tidal industries today welcomed the EU Commission’s announcement that Britain should supply 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Maria McCaffery, BWEA Chief Executive said “This is a revolution for the UK’s energy supply. Over half this target will have to be delivered by renewable electricity, and the vast majority of that will be wind power. It is achievable but now industry and Government have to work together to make it happen.”

At 2% Britain has the third lowest supply of renewable energy in Europe but some of the continent’s richest resources. Because of the low starting base for renewables in heat and fuel the bulk of Britain’s contribution will have to come from electricity. That will mean that between 30-40% of our electricity will have to come from renewable energy by 2020.

Overall, BWEA estimates that in order to reach the 15% target, 8% of the UK’s power supply will have to be provided by electricity (including wind, wave, tidal, biomass and hydro), while heating will provide 3%- 4% and fuel just 3%.

Wind industry analysts expect a major expansion in supply over the next decade. Although currently only 2.5GW of the UK’s electricity generating capacity is wind (1.5% of electrical energy supply), another 6GW is approved and waiting to be built or is under construction, while a further 9.5GW is waiting to be approved in planning. Altogether there are 16GW of wind schemes already in the system.

BWEA forecasts that by 2020, 13GW of electricity (10% of supply) should come from onshore wind and 20GW (17%) from offshore wind. While other sources such as wave & tidal, hydro and biomass will provide an additional 8-10%.

McCaffery said “Wind energy is the next North Sea Oil. Britain could be a world leader in renewable energy if we have the will to make this vision a reality”. She added “In order to reach the new target there will need to be a step change in government policy to harness the UK’s potential.”

Government has already announced a process to award up to 33GW of sites for offshore wind farms, combined with the new EU target this will encourage a new wave of investment in the UK’s wind sector. However, Government action is needed to kickstart it. Specifically, Government needs to:

* Allow National Grid to adopt a more strategic ‘predict & provide’ approach to investment to connect the new generation of wind farms transmission network quickly.
* Reform the Renewables Obligation, extending its life beyond 2027, to ensure that the flow of private investment will continue flowing after 2015.
* Unblock the logjam in the onshore planning system which currently holds-up the equivalent of 6% of potential UK electricity supply.

McCaffery said “Whether it is meeting these new targets or filling the emerging energy gap, the UK urgently needs the new clean, affordable domestic energy that the wind, wave and tidal sector can provide”.