Tyrone firm to open new ‘eco-friendly’ Dublin plant

A STRABANE-based cooking oil supplier and waste oil collector is on the verge of expanding its operations across the island by investing £7million into a new state-of-the-art depot in Dublin. The new development, by Frylite Solutions is to be open by 2024 and will create at least 30 jobs.

The investment comes as the company, in operation since 1988 and currently employing 300 people, goes in search of a ‘rebrand’ to illustrate the circular nature of the business. This rebrand began by the name change to Frylite Solutions, conveying the company’s work as a regenerative food solutions partner to the catering and food processing industries on both sides of the border.

Eamon McCay, managing director of the company, has hailed the upcoming Dublin plant as ‘a flagship depot’ for renewable energy to power the fleet and the plant.

He explained, “We see a world where oil and food waste help solve the energy problems by becoming transformed into sustainable fuels. This is our rallying call to ourselves, our customers and our partners to make things right.”

Asked how he intends to achieve this, Eamon continued, “We are doing this by creating the best products and solutions that empower our customers to cook and process the best quality food every time with our excellent service and great product quality, but to also ensure that they can dispose of their waste oil and food in the most efficient and sustainable manner.”

He continued, “We provide solutions for the entire food industry, be that chefs or food producers. And we help them provide the best products to their clients and customers while not compromising on the need to take care of the environment. We want to be a leader in all things environmental and to make things right in every way we can.”

Frylite Solutions was the first company in Ireland to collect used oil and food waste to generate renewable energy. Dealing directly with leading refineries across Europe, Frylite soon gained both a reputation and buying power to get the best quality product at the best price whilst choosing to supply healthy choices such as soya bean, rapeseed and olive oils.

At present, Frylite currently supplies 32.5 million litres of fresh cooking oil and collects 22 million litres of used cooking oil for recycling into biodiesel. Eamon points to food waste as a massive issue which needs remedied.

He said, “Oil and food waste are a massive global issue… Latest data says that almost 40 per cent of the food created globally is wasted. Rotting food creates methane, which is a huge contributor to global warming. It is estimated that food waste is four times more of a polluter than the aviation industry.”

Eamon says he is determined that Frylite Solutions will be part of the solution, not the problem.

“We at Frylite Solutions are committed to the circular economy – where we think about all elements of what we do and minimise not only waste oil and food but also waste of time, energy, and resources.”

Among its sustainability targets is to have its entire 90-strong fleet to be electric within five years and to achieve zero process waste to landfill within the same time frame. Also there will be a sustained effort to power each of the company’s plants in Strabane, Coleraine, Lisburn, Dublin, Cork and Galway, using renewable and recycled energy.

Eamon concluded, “Not only is it good for the planet – it is good for our business to collect oil and food waste.”