Irish-owned climate technology company ActionZero has announced a partnership with one of Europe’s leading food companies. The Cork-based company is working with Dunbia, a division of Dawn Meats, to help eliminate fossil fuel use at the company’s processing facility in Llanybydder, Wales. 

The deal is worth in excess of €3m and is expected to reduce carbon emissions at the Dunbia site by a minimum of 577 tonnes per year. 

Decarbonise heat at facility

The project is supported by the BEIS Industrial Energy transformation Fund, and will see ActionZero’s patented EscoPod system decarbonise heat at the facility. The heat pump system  provides high temperature water without the need for fossil fuels.

It is expected to reduce heating related CO₂ emissions at the Llanybydder site by a minimum of 58% and provide a minimum of 67% reduction in thermal system energy use. 

Niall Browne and Denis Collins.

Dunbia employs more than 5,000 people at 13 sites in the UK. Dawn Meats has ambitious plans to reach zero operational emissions by 2040, launching a €100m sustainability fund in December. 

Group CEO of Dawn Meats Niall Browne said: “At Dawn Meats, sustainability has been at the heart of our business for more than 20 years. We’re committed to investing in new technologies across all of our divisions to help us to reach our net zero operational emissions target by 2040.

"We’ve already made significant progress and we are delighted to partner with ActionZero on another project as there is still much for us to do. We’re looking forward to seeing the positive results ActionZero’s technology will have on our Dunbia site in Wales.” 

ActionZero CEO Denis Collins said: “Dawn Meats shares our goals and passion for achieving net zero emissions. At ActionZero, we believe that by combining business opportunity with social good, you create the right environment for great things to happen.

"We need companies and industries of all sizes to eliminate or drastically reduce the use of fossil fuels if we’re to successfully tackle the challenges of climate change. Dawn Meats and Dunbia are certainly leading the way in the food industry and we are delighted to be supporting them to reach their ambitious targets.”

Agrifood companies and public sector bodies

ActionZero is already working with a range of companies in healthcare, industry and enterprise including the Bons Secours Hospital, several agrifood companies and public sector bodies. 

Collins added: “We have a robust portfolio and strong performance history with industry particularly in the food sector in Ireland. The Dunbia project represents yet another important inroad for ActionZero into the UK. It’s a major market for us and is a key strategic focus for 2023.” 

ActionZero is an Enterprise Ireland supported company. CEO of Enterprise Ireland Leo Clancy said: “ActionZero is a highly innovative company delivering energy reduction and power management solutions to global companies like Dawn Meats.

"A key goal for Enterprise Ireland is to support companies to make the transition to the low-carbon, resource-efficient economy of the future and innovative solutions like ActionsZero’s EscoPod technology are key to supporting this critical agenda to reduce energy consumption.”