Contractors appointed for £250m ‘Gas to the West’ programme
TWO contractors have been appointed to work on the £250m infrastructure project to bring natural gas to counties Tyrone, Londonderry and Fermanagh.
Murphy GMC from Co Tyrone will join Limerick-based firm Roadbridge to carry out the engineering and construction of 200km pipelines in Cookstown, Coalisland, Derrylin, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Magherafelt and Omagh.
The project by SGN Natural Gas and Mutual Energy aims to deliver mains gas and meters to 40,000 homes in the west of the province over the next 40 years.
SGN Natural Gas director Danny O’Malley said: “We’re very pleased to announce that we have finalised the appointment of the main works contractor, Murphy GMC, who will be building the pipeline for us in seven towns in counties Tyrone, Derry and Fermanagh, and that we are now in a position to get this major new phase of the build under way.”
Murphy GMC is made up of GMC Group and Murphy Ltd, both based in Ballygawley, Co Tyrone.
Paddy Larkin, chief executive of Mutual Energy, said: “Gas will give industry a cleaner, more attractive fuel choice and enhance business competitiveness, which is also good news for jobs.
“Households, when connected, will also enjoy a more convenient and cost-effective energy option which helps combat fuel poverty.”
SGN Natural Gas and Mutual Energy were awarded ‘Gas to the West’ licences by the Utility Regulator in February 2015.
Mutual Energy won the licence for the high pressure element of the project, while SGN holds the licence for the low pressure element.
SGN Natural Gas is part of SGN, which manages gas networks across Scotland and the south of England.
Mutual Energy owns the Moyle electricity interconnector, the Scotland to Northern Ireland gas pipeline (SNIP) and the Belfast gas transmission pipeline.