Plans by Silver Hill Duck to invest more than €30 million to expand its processing facilities in Co. Monaghan have moved a step closer.
Monaghan County Council has granted planning permission to the company to build the new 5,680m2 facility at its Emyvale site.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also approved the installation of a state-of-the-art drip irrigation system which will comply with EU Water Quality Directives.
Silver Hill is the first Irish company to be granted such an approval by the EPA following a successful pilot trial of the system carried out over a two-year period.
This will ensure that all water used during production is recycled, cleaned and dispersed in an environmentally sustainable manner.
In 2021, the company secured planning for the development approved but the project was later refused permission on appeal to An Bord Pleanála due to concerns around wastewater.
As part of this new application, the company had extensive engagement with the EPA, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Monaghan County Council and others.
Silver Hill
The proposed new facility will allow Silver Hill to significantly increase its processing capacity, from the current 80,000 to 120,000 ducks/week.
The plans include a new pet-food processing plant, while the existing facilities will also be modernised.
The planned expansion has the potential to increase the workforce at the Emyvale plant from 220 to 270, along with creating construction jobs.
Subject to the completion of the planning process, construction is earmarked to begin this summer. The new plant is expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2024.
Established with just six ducks in 1962, Silver Hill currently supplies 32 counties with another five new markets in the pipeline.
The company said the planned expansion will allow it to meet further demand in Asian and Middle Eastern markets and expand into new markets such as Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia during the coming year.
Commenting on the proposed development, Micheál Briody, managing director of Silver Hill Duck said:
“This expansion has been planned for a number of years and we are delighted to be in a position now to move forward with our plans.
“This is an important step forward in the company’s long history and builds on the success we have achieved in recent years in both domestic and overseas markets.
“It means that the premium Silver Hill product we have developed over many years and established a worldwide reputation for, can continue to be prepared here in Emyvale, providing local jobs and enhancing Ireland’s reputation as a top quality food producer,” he said.