O&S Doors is investing £9 million in a biomass-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) plant at its Dungannon site, an initiative welcomed by First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.

The project is supported by a £2.4 million award from the Shared Island Sustainability Capital Grant Scheme.

The company said it is the first across the island of Ireland to deploy a system of this type and scale. The CHP plant will convert MDF dust—currently shipped off-site to Europe for processing or sent to landfill—into around 6.3 million units of energy to run heating and manufacturing operations on site.

Ms O'Neill said: "This is a hugely innovative investment by O&S Doors and a real commitment to sustainable manufacturing. Turning MDF dust into clean energy is good for the environment and makes economic sense. I am delighted to see a local company leading the way with technology of this scale and ambition, helping to position the North as a place where green innovation and advanced manufacturing go hand in hand."

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Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said: "As a locally based company, O&S Doors is a success story for our manufacturing sector, and this latest investment will ensure the company continues to grow and thrive. Investing in high-efficiency technology and greener ways of working is essential if we are to harness our economic potential, drive productivity and boost our growing reputation on the world’s economic stage while creating jobs and supporting long-term growth."

The Shared Island Sustainability Capital Grant forms part of the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme delivered by InterTradeIreland, Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.

According to O&S Doors, the new plant will burn in excess of 10,000 tonnes of MDF dust each year to generate 1 MW of electricity, cutting an estimated 1,500 tonnes of carbon emissions annually from its operations.

O&S Doors is the largest manufacturer of wooden doors, panels and related accessories in the UK and Ireland. Its customer base spans the island of Ireland, the UK and, more recently, the United States, supplying over 300 independent retailers as well as B&Q and Magnet.

John Toomey, CEO of O&S Doors, said: "As a company we are committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2028 through investments in electric vehicle adoption and zero waste landfill operations. This new CHP project is another central pillar to this ambition enabling us to reduce our reliance on purchasing electricity and reduce production of emissions linked to off-site MDF waste transport."