Easy Wins Case Study - Abcon Industrial Products Ltd
Background
Abcon Industrial Products Ltd. is a leading manufacturing company based in Cootehill, Co. Cavan. Established in 2005, Abcon has grown steadily over the past two decades and now employs more than 180 people across two specialist divisions: Abcon Abrasives and CavMac Hose & Rubber Lining. From its origins as a small manufacturing facility, the company has evolved into a major employer in Co Cavan, known for quality Irish manufacturing and continued investment in innovation. In recent years they identified sustainability and emissions reduction as a vital aspect of their brand.
The company have taken action towards improvements since 2022 and are currently in the process of final completion of their implementation of a sustainability strategy in line with a carbon reduction programme. The company has achieved accreditation in multiple ISO standards.
Energy saving measures
In 2022 the company commissioned a detailed Decarbonisation Strategy through the Enterprise Ireland GreenPlus grant. This charted their course for towards ISO50001 and ISO14001 certification which they achieved in 2024.
In 2023, a major positive commitment was made on their journey by installing 250 kWp of solar PV with grant support provided by SEAI under the Non-Domestic Microgen Scheme (NDMG). Plans for future expansion of the system across the remainder of roof are currently underway.
In 2025 they again engaged with SEAI’s rapid approval grant suite of measures. This time it was to replace the roof in one of their manufacturing areas through the Fabric Roof measure of the Business Energy Upgrades Scheme (BEUS). The original single skin roof raised major issues around occupant comfort, production quality as well as significant energy concerns. With the assistance of SEAI all these issues were addressed with the replacement of the single skin, leaky roof with a highly insulated composite panel roof system.
Eager to address all aspects of waste in their business the company commissioned a waste audit in 2025. The company has now established an agreement with a UK facility for recycling of their abrasive waste, established a delivery method and are in the process of installing a large 60 tonne baler to allow the baling and shipping of this waste to the UK facility for recycling.
Results
The company has made significant strides in just a couple of years and through the support of SEAI rapid approval grants, the Solar PV and Fabric Roof will generate estimated annual savings of 450MWh in energy and an emissions reduction 110tCO2. This equates to a combined annual saving €66,500*.
Savings correct at time of analysis and based on detailed simulations where metered data not yet available. The company expects to have waste reduced by up to 50tCO2e, while also achieving a net saving of €15,000+ per year in waste charges.
For us, sustainability isn’t a buzzword, it’s a responsibility. When you manufacture at scale, you have a duty to your customers to keep costs low, to the local area and also to the wider environment. Investing in energy efficiency is simply the right thing to do, and the SEAI supports made it achievable. The rising cost of energy in recent years, evidenced by most recent energy price shock due to war in Iran, underscored the importance of reducing reliance on traditional power sources. For Abcon, this became a turning point—prompting the management team to accelerate plans to upgrade the roof. The new roofing system improves insulation and so reduces heat loss, while the solar PV installation now offsets a significant portion of their daily electricity demand. Improving our energy performance wasn’t just about cost savings.
Advice to other businesses
As the global economy becomes more competitive and challenging, having a sustainable approach can only benefit the bottom line. We believe that this is an important part of our strategy into the future, which will enable us to be more resilient. The SEAI supports available today make energy upgrades more accessible than ever so talk to them to see how they can help you. These investments pay back in more ways than one and help secure your business for the future.
