Newry and Mourne District Council have signed up to the Dundalk 2020 Charter. This project is managed by Sustainable Energy Ireland and aims to highlight how a community can move to a more sustainable pattern of energy supply and use. This project is to be an exemplar, first within the town of Dundalk and ultimately in Ireland.

Newry and Mourne District Council will work closely with Dundalk as part of the Holistic Project to observe, learn, and ultimately implement in the best practices undertaken in Dundalk within the Newry and Mourne region.

In June 2007, the member partners signed the first EU Concerto Proposal Contract.

The contract is worth €10.7 million in total with €3.5m to be specifically allocated to fund the development of the Dundalk Sustainable Energy Zone.

Mayor Michael Cole said: "The Holistic Project is a very exciting project for our region. We are delighted to work with our neighbours in Dundalk and we will be closely observing their programme to improve their energy uses. We are delighted to follow them and use this model in our own community."

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Similar Sustainable Energy Zones are also being developed in Modling (Austria) and in Neuchatel (Switzerland). Each partner also has an observer member with a funding budget allocated to similar projects in their region. Newry and Mourne District Council is an observer member with Aachen (Germany) and the Italian Ministry of Environment.

The majority of the funding allocated for Dundalk will be primarily used for demonstration purposes. It will provide funding for the installation of a wood chip fired district heating scheme to provide heart to residential, industrial and commercial users. Other elements of the project include the refurbishment of existing buildings to a high standard of efficiency and the development of energy efficiency homes.

The funding secured for Newry and Mourne District Council will be allocated over a 5-year period. This EU grant will be spent on comparing and analysing the economic and political framework of the three concerto communities and will derive policy recommendations that can be implemented within the Newry and Mourne region. The Concerto funding package available for NMDC is €102,000 with the Council providing a further €95,000 over the 5 year programme. This funding will be specifically allocated to the Albert Basin development.

April 2007 saw the launch of the Development Brief for the Albert Basin Site. Built as the gateway to the Newry Ship Canal, the Albert Basin site in many respects is the birthplace of Modern Newry. The 16 acre council owned facility is a recognised development opportunity site. The Council is currently considering the received submissions and it is envisaged that proposed development could include, office or commercial use, civic, community, recreational or leisure use.

To learn more about Dundalk 2020 and the Holistic project, visit the Sustainable Energy Ireland website at: www.sei.ie.

(GK/JM)