Fyffes opens banana ripening centre in Dublin

Fyffes has opened a new banana ripening centre in Dublin as part of a €25 million investment in its Irish operations.

The banana distributor said the facility, which is located at the M1 Business Park at Courtlough near Balbriggan, will have the capacity to process more than seven million bananas a week once it is operating at full strength. The new centre, which replaces the former Fyffes facility in Swords, will supply Irish retailers, wholesalers and food providers, north and south.

The new centre, built on a 10-acre site, centre includes the 8,500sq m ripening and distribution centre, a 1,750sq m, two-storey office and administration block, and loading bays, truck and customer parking and ancillary services areas.

The building has also been designed to be more sustainable, with some of its energy supplied by roof-mounted photovoltaic panels, with office heating and cooling systems fed via a ground source heat pump. There are also rainwater-harvesting systems to help conserve and reduce water consumption, and a green roof system has been installed.

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"The new development will have a very positive impact on Fyffes by delivering even greater productivity and strengthening its ability to service the needs of our customers," said Fyffes chief executive Helge Sparsoe.

Mr Sparsoe said the plant was "a commitment to securing Fyffes future operations in Ireland.

Fyffes also has a base in Dundalk and employs more than 100 people in Ireland, with more than 10,000 employed globally.