The £250 million project is expected to connect up to 7,000 homes in Enniskillen to a natural gas supply by 2018, with the planned pipe continuing on to Derrylin in what is no doubt a vote of confidence in the area’s industry, driven by Quinn Industrial Holdings. 

Having secured the planning permission, the Gas to the West project, which was launched in 2015, is now ready to begin construction of its pipeline 

“The fact that such a complex project made its way through the planning system in five months is testament to the good work that went in prior to submission of the full application,” said Paddy Larkin, CEO of Mutual Energy who are project partners along with SGN Natural Gas. 

“This includes the thoroughness of our public consultation and our pre-application discussions with stakeholders. I would like to congratulate everyone involved in getting our project to this important stage.” 

While the first part of the project, connecting supplies in Derry to Strabane, has already been completed, it could be at least a year before the project arrives in Enniskillen and Derrylin, with most of Fermanagh scheduled as the final stage of the project, expected to be connected in 2018. 

Overall, Gas to the West will comprise an 80km high pressure (HP) pipeline connecting the existing gas network near Portadown, run through parts of Tyrone and Fermanagh, briefly, to a point in west Clogher. From there an intermediate pressure pipeline (IP), totally around 110km, will connect the HP line to Dungannon, Coalisland, Cookstown and Magherafelt, then on to Omagh, and finally on to Enniskillen and Derrylin. 

Only Enniskillen and Derrylin are to be connected in Fermanagh.