The lack of natural gas in Nenagh could effectively have resulted in major job losses.
CEO of Arrabawn Co-op Conor Ryan says the spiralling cost of oil had added millions to the cost of running their plants in Nenagh each year.
The approval by the Commission for Energy Regulation to bring natural gas to the town will save between €1.5 and €2 million annually for the co-op which has its food ingredients operation in Nenagh.
It directly employs 75 people with around 40 indirect jobs.
Conor Ryan admits that without natural gas the Nenagh operation was in question.
