JHM Crops Ltd.

PRESS RELEASE 25/1/2008

The carbon emission reduction targets announced this week by the European Commission set major challenges for Ireland. We currently produce 3.1% of electricity from renewable sources. We must increase this to 16% by 2020. Many different sources of renewables will be required to achieve this goal. The biomass crop Miscanthus is expected to play a significant part in reaching these
targets. Edenderry Power Station burns 1 million tonnes of peat annually for electricity generation. It aims to switch to 30% renewable sources by 2015. This ambitious target took a major step forward this Thursday with the first ever burning of Miscanthus biomass for electricity generation for the National Grid. The Miscanthus,supplied by JHM Crops, Limerick and Quinn’s of Baltinglass was successfully co-fired with peat at the Bord na Mona owned facility in Co. Offaly. ‘This is an important day for us’ said Joe Hogan of JHM Crops. ‘It shows the role Miscanthus can play in achieving our carbon reduction targets nationally. The fact that Miscanthus can be burned in an already existing facility is very encouraging’. ‘This should create great impetus for this fledgling indigenous industry’ said Ronan Madigan, PRO, JHM Crops who has the largest plantation of Miscanthus in Ireland. ‘We have now shown the role this crop can play.This, coupled with the Government supported Establishment Grant should encourage many more landowners to grow this Energy crop as an alternative land use with a viable return. Never before have farmers had an opportunity to supply such a rapidly expanding market’ he said.