Buckeye Technologies yesterday announced an expansion of its Ringaskiddy plant in Cork, which will lead to the creation of 60 permanent new jobs over the next 12 months, bringing the Irish operation's workforce to 170.

The jobs will come on stream when the plant's production capacity doubles to 30,000 metric tons after the installation of a second, more advanced air-laid machine which will produce very thin absorbent cellulose fibre-like but non-woven material.