Soltec ‘key part of circular economy’, says minister
A company like Soltec is a key piece in the jigsaw of managing the circular economy to ensure sustainability, said Minister Peter Burke when he officially launched the firm’s newest facility.
Minister Burke was the guest of honour at an event to mark Soltec’s 30 years in business and the opening of its newly installed distillation plant, the culmination of a €6.8 million investment to expand its capacity to accept, treat and recycle hazardous waste from around the country.
Soltec (Ireland) Ltd was established in 1994, employing two people focused on treating solvent waste from local garages and bodyshops. It now services a broad client-base in the pharmaceutical, education, medical and automotive sectors. It employs 31 and has increased its capacity to treat hazardous waste by 300% (from 5000 tonnes in 2019 to 20,000 tonnes in 2024).
Minister Burke’s reference to the circular economy is a good example of what Soltec does, and director David Corcoran explained it to the Westmeath Examiner: “Solvents we take in that are low quality, maybe high in water, and not suitable for distillation – our primary activity; distil solvents and make new solvents out of them – but solvents not suitable for that we blend to a specific specification and because it has energy in it, so it can be used to fuel a cement kiln.
“We blend the solvents, test for chlorine, sulphur, the different elements, and then once it passes the test, we can tanker it to Breedon Cement and they use it as a coal alternative. Traditionally, they would have used coal to power the kiln, and that is high carbon emissions, so this waste solvent now being used as a fuel is much lower carbon.
“That solvent, before it was used for fuel in the cement industry, would have been sent abroad to be incinerated, and there was no energy recovery from it.”
David is a director at Soltec, which his father Michael established in 1994, and it is still a family concern that Michael and Patricia Corcoran remain actively involved in.
Minister Burke said it was “a great pleasure to be here this afternoon to see the facility at Soltec advance at pace. It’s great to see a family business being successful with Michael and Patricia and David and all the family, progressing and providing local employment”.
He said he had put a focus on indigenous businesses since he was appointed minister at the Dept of Enterprise. “Firms like Soltec are a vital component of our sustainability measures, to improve our economy… there are so many huge challenges, but we’re up for it and ready to assist everyone anywhere we can; we look forward to working with you all into the future and supporting an exceptional family business that’s high value, providing great employment to Mullingar.
“To all the workers here, we really appreciate all your effort, because when you get up and go to work every day, it’s your contribution that gives us a chance to plan a better future for our country.”
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