A new £20million fund which will offer support to local
businesses to purchase and install energy efficient equipment
that will help to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions
has been launched today.
The five-year programme is now open for applications and will
offer businesses grants of up to £150,000 for investments in
areas such as lighting, heating and cooling equipment, motors and
drives, compressed air systems, and onsite renewable energy
generation.
Launching the Energy Efficiency Capital Grant (EECG), Department
for the Economy Permanent Secretary, Ian Snowden said: “This new
scheme represents a pivotal step towards realising our vision of
a greener, more prosperous economy.
“The grant will help companies invest in technologies that reduce
energy consumption and carbon emissions. This will lower costs
for businesses and also progress Minister Murphy's
decarbonisation journey towards net zero as set out in his
Economic Vision.”
The EECG will play a pivotal role in realising the Energy
Strategy's mandate of delivering a 25 per cent reduction in
energy consumption from buildings and industry in Northern
Ireland by 2030. Ian continued: “This scheme shows how
government, and businesses can work together to build prosperity
at the same time as reducing carbon emissions.”
Kieran Donoghue, CEO of Invest Northern Ireland, emphasised: “At
Invest NI, we are committed to driving economic growth hand in
hand with environmental responsibility. The EECG programme is our
commitment to empower businesses to embrace energy efficiency
measures that will not only reduce operational costs but also
contribute significantly to our collective journey towards a
net-zero future.
“The grant is available to a wide range of businesses in sectors
from retail to advanced manufacturing to hospitality. Using less
energy and utilising the energy we do use more efficiently is
vital to reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills. By
empowering businesses to 'do more with less', we are safeguarding
our environment and nurturing a resilient and prosperous economy
for generations to come.”
