George Kidney – Acknowledgement
Balcas were very sorry to learn this weekend of the death of George Kidney OBE, aged 91 years of age.
George was the founder of Ballycassidy Sawmills Limited in 1962, this being the entity that grew into the Balcas Timber Ltd that we know today. George led the growth and development of Balcas during our formative years, stepping down in 1988, however he continued to work until the early 2000’s and indeed is fondly remembered by the many staff still working here whom he employed personally. His legacy to the county of Fermanagh, and further afield, is enormous when you see today a business employing 380 people directly, and probably the same number again indirectly.
George was the epitome of a gentleman. Those of us that had the pleasure and honour of working for or with him will remember his decency and humanity, his fantastic sense of humour, and his great wisdom.
Our sincere sympathies go to his sons, David, Ernest, and Andrew, his wife Betty, his grandchildren and the whole extended family.
He will surely rest in peace after a life of great accomplishment and service to the timber & industry.
Get ready for the cold Autumn temperatures and Order Online
Last days of summer are here. To get ready for the cold Autumn temperatures we have put together this checklist to help you maintain optimum performance for your biomass boiler set-up this Autumn:
✔️ Store is clean – As recommended in our Summer Fuel Store Maintenance Guide.
✔️ Annual Service completed – Make sure that your boiler is serviced annually by a certified technician to ensure the appliance is operating safely and correctly
✔️ Thermostat. Check and adjust your thermostat settings to ensure your heating system is working properly
✔️ Advance Ordering – We strongly recommend you order in advance before winter is here, as sometimes lead times increase at winter peak times. Order using our 24/7 Ordering System HERE
Let us know if you need any assistance with any of the above – Our team is here for you!
Janet Hynes – An Appreciation
Today was an unbearably sad day for us here in Enniskillen as we bade a final farewell to our friend and colleague, Janet Hynes.
Janet courageously battled her cancer over the past eighteen months with amazing fortitude and grace. Despite the gravity of her illness, she always wore a smile and sparkled with positivity. Janet has been a shining example of gentle decency and we trust her spirit will long live in the memory of all those who had the pleasure and honour to know her.
Since she joined Balcas in February 2006, Janet made an extraordinary contribution to the development of brites. Her part in our sales, distribution, and management cannot be overstated. Janet is a great loss to her colleagues and we already miss her. We know too by tributes from customers and business colleagues alike, that everyone who had the pleasure of working with her, feel the same.
To her partner Stephen, for all of Janet’s brothers and sisters, and for her extended family and friends; to them we offer our deepest condolences and sympathies.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam
Why building a low carbon economy is so important
Climate change is the biggest challenge the mankind is facing today.
Global temperatures are increasing, the environment is continuously changing and all the GHG (Human-made Greenhouse Gas) emissions are responsible mainly for this.
Global average temperatures have already increased by almost 1˚C since pre-industrial times. The atmosphere and oceans have warmed, snow and ice cover has diminished, and sea levels are rising. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are increasing. Thousands of animal species face extinction and communities in water poor regions and low-lying countries are already at great risk.
Green Finance Strategy via www.gov.uk
The main driver of climate change is the increasing emissions from man-made greenhouse gas, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). These gases act like a blanket, trapping
infrared radiation emitted from the surface and preventing it from escaping into outer space.
The end result?
Is a progressive warming of the Earth’s atmosphere and surface. This effect becomes ever stronger as the atmospheric concentration of GHGs increases. A tipping point is fast approaching. The tonnage of CO2 emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere reached record levels in 2018 and the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that the Earth is now on track for three degrees of warming by the end of this century. According to their analysis, we only have 12 years to keep global warming below 1.5˚C – the higher ambition in the 2015 landmark Paris Agreement. Read More on the Ibec website.
Next steps?
The UK and Ireland have now joined the global effort to address climate change and both Governments have now committed to the ambitious plan to cut emissions and become Carbon-Neutral by 2050. The plan is to get the energy system to become secure, sustainable and competitive – Supply will be built on various renewable energy fuels, like biomass and wood pellets.
Robbie the Robot joins the brites Team…Adding Capacity For Bagged Brites
If you’re ordering 10Kg bags of brites direct online you will spot some differences to our pallets of locally produced 10kg wood pellets. Earlier this year we had a new robot commissioned to stack and wrap our 10kg bags. The robot has been christened Robbie by the rest of the brites team.
Following the global bagged pellet shortage that occurred during the winter of 2017/2018 we felt it necessary to increase capacity so now our bagging factory can operate operate 24/7. This investment will help ensure we can be respond to peaks in demand and get our home grown bagged pellets delivered to you when you require them.
Robbie is very meticulous and makes sure that the pallets are stacked neater than before and as part of the automated bagging process the bags are gently rolled to make them flatter to aid the pallet building. This flattening of the bags mean that the finished pallet will look smaller than you are used to. A typical pallet is now 200mm shorter than the previous pallet stacked manually.
Balcas brites are still:
Made locally from locally grown timber that we process in our saw mills.
Made to exceed EnplusA1 requirments.
High calorific value
Low fines levels
Low ash
Order now
Balcas CEO takes on inaugural chairmanship of €800m industry association
22 companies representing the full span of the forestry supply chain have come together to form Forest Industries Ireland (FII). Launched yesterday, IFI is a new business sector within IBEC and the association is chaired by Balcas CEO, Brian Murphy.
With a combined turnover of €800 million, the industry is forecasting major growth with the figure doubling to €1.6 billion by 2035. Mark McCauley, Director of FII, said the industry is now maturing, with 21,000 forest owners all over the country. “The trees that they have been growing over the last 40 years are now reaching maturity, so there is huge growth in supply from the private forest estate, and that requires a bit more coordination.”
Balcas processes a million tonnes of logs from Ireland and Scotland every year and Brian, who is the inaugural Chairman of Forest Industries Ireland, said the industry is “hugely sustainable”. “The ingredients for our industry are sun, carbon dioxide, rain, land, and employment in our rural communities. The forest output is a crop that is increasingly managed to optimise the value of timber that is being returned from the land for the grower, whilst also maximising the environmental benefit and increasing Irelands natural capital”.
The association has been formed to drive industry growth, increase industry visibility and profile, improve Government policy and regulation, co-ordinate joint industries, and to meet the Brexit challenge.
Photo Caption: Mark McAuley, Director (left) and Brian Murphy, inaugural Chairman of Forest Industries Ireland, pictured at the launch of FII
New Developments at Balcas
New Developments at Balcas
We are pleased to confirm that on Saturday 1st September 2018 Balcas Timber Ltd, manufacturer of brites; entered into an agreement to acquire the wood pellet trade and assets of the leading GB wood pellet distributor Forever Fuels Ltd.
This exciting opportunity enables Balcas to further strengthen its position as a principal supplier in the UK and Ireland wood pellet industry.
Ian McCracken, brites Business Development Director said: “We are confident that the combination of the Forever Fuel team’s experience of making industry-leading deliveries of wood pellets and the Balcas team’s experience in manufacturing wood pellets will make brites the best choice for all users of wood pellets. This will improve the security of supply and we will continue to develop our friendly service offering, including online ordering and technical know-how.”
On behalf of Summerleaze (parent company of FF), Bruno Prior, Director said: “We are pleased with the potential of this new direction and a clear determination from the new owner to harness the existing strengths of both companies to provide a long-term future. All of the employees of Forever Fuels have transferred to Balcas and we look forward with confidence to the business growing strongly under its new owners.”
Agriculture Minister tours brites plant in Enniskillen
Balcas were delighted to have the opportunity to show the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Michelle McIlveen MLA around our plant at Enniskillen today.
Sawmilling is a traditional industry that has been around for many centuries. Balcas, with backing and encouragement of the forest service, has built and grown the Enniskillen sawmill into a modern, internationally competitive facility. Over the past ten years the business has further developed into renewable energy. In doing so, Balcas displaces 100 million of litres of heating oil and generates enough electricity to power every home in Fermanagh. Our brites wood pellet sales now exceed 200,000 tonnes annually. Combined, our activities provide for a net reduction in the UK annual CO2 output of more than 300,000 tonnes.
Brian Murphy, Balcas CEO speaking at the meeting said;
“We are delighted to welcome Minister McIlveen to our plant in Fermanagh. Our work here is a real-life manifestation of the way Government policy and private enterprise can interact so as to provide long term skilled jobs; whilst simultaneously contributing to rural prosperity and sustaining our environment.”
Following a very successful visit the Minister commented:
“What I have seen today here at Balcas is very impressive. Their development and integrated use of wood products produced by forests is the result of closer and innovative partnership working between Industry and Government. This is a clear example of what can be achieved, improving the economics of the forestry sector and underpinning sustainable development, especially in rural areas, and creating jobs for rural dwellers. Balcas are clearly at the forefront of generating renewable energy using wood fibre from forests to produce electricity for industrial consumption and supplying wood pellets for the domestic fuel market.”
Minister McIlveen & CEO Brian Murphy at the Bagging Plant
