CAT Finning FC fp ad.indd - Plant & Civil Engineer

54 Plant & Civil EnginEER
Northern Ireland
Providing Essential Materials
New minerals resource map
of Northern Ireland launched
Environment Minister Alex Attwood and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
Arlene Foster have launched a Minerals Resources Map of Northern Ireland.
Environment Minister Alex Attwood,
(left) with QPANI’s Gordon Best, the
DoE’s Mary MacIntyre, Andy Howard
from the British Geological Survey and
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster
The map will provide planners,
industry and local communities
with a powerful tool to assist
future decisions on a countyby-county
basis in relation
to the continued supply of
minerals and in the protection
of the environment.
In essence, local industry will
be able to use local minerals
more effectively. Salt to keep
roads clear in winter, aggregates
and other robust materials to
support the local construction
industry, mineral supplements
for the animal feeds industry as
well as base metals to sustain
local manufacturing industry
will all be more accessible.
Environment Minister Alex
Attwood said: “This is a
remarkable map. There has
never been such a picture of
the resources under the ground
we walk. It is a major tool to
help understand the rocks from
which we obtain fossil fuels -
relevant to our energy needs;
geothermal ‘hotspots’ - relevant
to renewable energy; areas
of environmental designation
- relevant to preservation
of our natural heritage.
“This resources snapshot will
also be an essential planning and
economic tool. The new Minerals
Resources Map will empower
all users to readily examine
the potential for particular
minerals across Northern Ireland,
and will facilitate a planned
future of our limited natural
resources and environment
for generations to come. It is
also a fascinating picture of
Northern Ireland resources,
environmental concerns and
economic opportunities.”
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster
said: “Mineral resources are
QPANI Respond to Consultation on
Simplification of Energy Efficiency Scheme
QPANI has called for the scrapping of the proposed CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme,
formerly known as the Carbon Reduction Commitment.
In a written response to the
CRC Team at the Department
of Energy and Climate Change
in London, Regional Director
Gordon Best says QPANI
believes the scheme, even with
simplification measures put in
place, will have a major impact
on the competitiveness of large
companies in Northern Ireland.
“We would echo the CBI
view that the CRC should be
scrapped and mandatory carbon
measurement implemented
as an alternative,” he says.
He points out that QPANI
members produce over 95% of
aggregates extracted in Northern
Ireland, including sand and gravel
and crushed rock. They are also
responsible for the manufacture
of approximately 95% of concrete,
asphalt and other quarried
products. They range in size from
a number of major companies to
a high number of SMEs employing
directly in excess of 3000 people.
“There are a number of aspects
of this scheme which give rise to
concerns. When originally devised
the CRC required large energy
users to pay a tax on each tonne
of carbon they generated through
their energy usage. The original
scheme however also rewarded
organisations who were more
efficient by providing a revenue
return for those who reduced
their carbon emissions year on
year. This rebate element of the
scheme was removed by the
Chancellor in his autumn budget
statement in 2010, meaning that
the scheme has now moved from
one which encouraged energy
efficiency to a straight carbon tax.
“One of the perversities of the
scheme is that in many ways
it is a circular tax. In Northern
Ireland 48 organisations are
required to register under this
scheme. Of these only 19 are
private sector companies,
while the other 29 are public
sector organisations including
government departments,
health trusts, local councils and
of course NI Water who are
the largest energy user in the
Province. So we have ended up
with a scheme which results in
government taxing itself! This will
significantly increase costs for
the NI Assembly who of course
fund domestic water charges and
local government departments,
yet there appear to be no plans
for an increase in the block grant
to fund such increased costs.
“In the private sector, only our
largest and most successful
companies are included in
the scheme, which will result
in increased energy costs of
between 5% and 10%. This
will mean additional costs
for some of our members of
up to £500,000 per year.
“Energy costs in Northern Ireland
are already some 18% higher than
our competitors in the Republic of
Ireland, 15-20% higher than in GB,
and 30% higher than in France.
It does seem preposterous that
government is encouraging
companies to become world
leaders, and then introduces a tax
which results in them becoming
less competitive in world markets
– effectively a tax on success!”
He says that despite recent
proposals from the Department
of Energy and Climate change
to simplify the scheme, the
associated costs to administer
this ‘overly complex and onerous
scheme’ are also excessive
and likely to result in costs of
at least £10,000 per annum
valuable national assets that
are vital to a modern economy.
They are essential raw materials,
which underpin many industries
including manufacturing,
construction, power generation
and transportation. Global
competition for mineral
supplies is increasing.
“Local mineral resources are
critical to the development of
a sustainable economy and
it makes good sense to use
them where it is economically
viable and environmentally
sustainable to do so.
“Northern Ireland’s varied geology
means it has significant potential
for a wide range of mineral
resources - including aggregates,
industrial minerals, precious and
base metals and fossil fuels.”
for each organisation that are
required to make returns.
“Private sector companies will
also find themselves suffering
double or triple taxation as
a result of the scheme. It is
patent that NI Water will have
to increase water charges to
fund this tax, while undoubtedly
Belfast City Council will also
increase business rates to
fund their commitment to
the charge, further adding to
costs in the private sector.
To sum up, it is apparent that
modifications to the scheme
since it was first mooted have
resulted in this scheme becoming
an overly complex bad tax
which should be scrapped.”
QPANI suggests that any new
scheme should create a level
playing field in the market place
and across all sectors of the
economy. To be viewed as a
true energy efficiency scheme,
it says, a means of the recycling
of the revenue should be found
rather than a revenue grab by
the Treasury and that credit
against any levy/ tax should
be given for investment in
energy efficiency measures.
QPANI News Spread.indd 54 18/07/2012 14:26