Fresh salt to arrive in time for cold snap

A council spokesman confirmed that delivery of the consignment will boost supplies to approximately 550 tonnes, a sufficient supply for eight to nine applications.
“The latest salt shipment will leave us reasonably comfortable as regards salt stocks but we will be continuing to actively seek further allocations,” a council spokesman confirmed.
Meanwhile, Tom Tiernan, senior engineer transportation admitted that the new salt depot, currently under construction, was “a little behind programme-wise mostly because of the severe weather”.
While the council already has a high-quality salt barn, Mr Tiernan said completion of the new depot will double the council’s storage capacity from 650 tonnes to approximately 1,300 tons.
Earlier this week, Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) commenced discharging of an 8,000-tonne shipment of salt, when the vessel, Diezebog arrived from the Mediterranean.
A further shipment of over 6,000 tonnes is due into Foynes Port again next week and, together with this week’s shipment, will help to replenish nationwide salt stocks, following the prolonged freezing temperatures from the end of November right through to Christmas.
Shannon Foynes Port Company chief executive Pat Keating said these shipments, ordered by Lagan Projects Limited for the National Roads Authority (NRA), could not have come at a better time to bolster stocks  following the pre-Christmas prolonged bout of freezing temperatures.
“We are delighted to be able to support Lagan Projects Limited in landing these very important shipments. The fact that we have the largest natural deepwater port in Ireland, as well as the infrastructure here at the Shannon Estuary to handle this size of a consignment, makes this possible.
“We still have a lot of winter ahead of us so Lagan Projects Limited and the NRA have been very active in making sure they could rebuild salt stocks ahead of any return of the cold-snap,” he commented.