Agricultural consultant and valuer Richard Collins says landowners with genuine cases for compensation for powerlines on their property should turn to arbitration. In response, Eirgrid emphasises the benefits of electrical infrastructure, and says independent arbitration is available for any dispute.
THE ESB/Eirgrid proposal to construct a large high-voltage electric powerline between Dunmanway and Clashavoon in Co Cork (about 50 km) is causing much concern to the landowners whose land will be traversed. There can be little doubt that the erection of such powerlines and pylons will reduce the value of farms along its route.
Pressure from landowners over many years about damage done by road schemes and gas pipelines eventually resulted in reasonably satisfactory levels of compensation for farm devaluation. Not so, however, in the case of powerlines and pylons.
The Entitlement to Compensation: The Electricity (Supply) Act of 1927 gave considerable powers to the ESB, but did not provide for proper compensation payments to landowners for powerlines and pylons on their land. This was legally challenged by Gormley in a landmark court case (ESB v Gormley, 1985). In the Supreme Court judgement, the judge described the right to acquire a wayleave or easement over land to facilitate the construction of powerlines, pylons and masts, as a "burdensome right over land". This opened the door, and resulted in a provision in the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act 1985 for full compensation to landowners for damage done by electric powerlines, poles and pylons. There is now an undisputed entitlement to full compensation for damage to property as a result of these structures.
However, poorly focused efforts by landowners mean that the ESB still steadfastly hold that no such devaluation exists, and landowners remain unpaid for property devaluation.
Why is there a resistance to powerlines? Powerlines and pylons are a visual eyesore and, like any eyesore, cause a devaluation of the property on which they are erected. More importantly, however, there is now a very strong perception that they are a health risk, and this adds further to the property devaluation. Wayleaves and easements taken by the ESB/Eirgrid for the erection of powerlines are registered on the landowner’s property deeds. What most landowners do not realise is that the power given to the ESB/Eirgrid by the various ESB Acts also entitles them to enter any part of a landowner’s property to erect the powerline and afterwards carry out inspections and maintenance, and in emergencies, prior notice does not have to be given. This can have serious animal disturbance and disease implications. Helicopter flights over the powerlines for inspections are a regular occurrence, and can seriously disturb animals, particularly horses.
The combination of the eyesore, the perceived health risk, the burden on title and the access rights, constitutes a significant devaluation of property and appropriate compensation should be paid to landowners for this devaluation.
What are landowners paid? ESB/Eirgrid generally limit compensation payments to crop loss resulting from the construction works. In recent times, there may also be a so-called "facility payment" for co-operation with the pylon construction. However, there is an absolute and total resistance to an acceptance that these structures and rights devalue property, and accordingly, landowners are not paid compensation for same. By nature, landowners are generally co-operative, and will accept crop loss compensation and allow the works continue. It is only when a landowner may wish to sell his farm or erect a dwelling house or farm building that he realises his or her mistake.
The extent of devaluation: No two situations are the same. Clearly, the erection of a low voltage powerline across one corner of a very large holding, several hundred metres from the dwelling house and farm buildings, will not cause the same level of devaluation as a high voltage powerline with a number of pylons in close proximity to the dwelling house, through the centre of a small or medium-sized holding. This latter situation could be so serious as to ruin a potential farm sale, because intensive farmers and bloodstock owners would have no interest in acquiring such land, with the problems referred to above. In the former situation, the level of devaluation is likely to be insignificant, and generally would not justify a reference to arbitration for compensation.
What can landowners do? To disrupt or prevent the erection of powerlines is illegal. ESB/Eirgrid will absolutely refuse, except in extremely exceptional circumstances, to put powerlines underground — and there is no law to compel them to do so. Major protests aimed at having powerlines put underground have seldom been successful, and have generally been a wasted effort. The only realistic route for landowners is to pursue the matter by demanding appropriate compensation.
There is provision in the legislation for compensation for property devaluation, and if ESB/Eirgrid refuse to acknowledge genuine devaluation (as they invariably will), the landowner can have the matter determined by an independent property arbitrator whose decision is binding on both parties.
Landowners with genuine cases should not be afraid of the arbitration process. However, the case must be realistic, worthwhile, and must be properly prepared.
There is little point going before a property arbitrator without evidence and professional expertise to support the case. There is now real evidence that land with large powerlines has been selling at much lower prices than similar land without such structures.
It is not advisable to break the law, while there is a mechanism to get fair play within the law. The threat of having to pay legal costs should not deter landowners, because it is slight, in the right circumstances. As in all such matters, good and reliable legal and valuation advice should be sought at the outset.
Farmer discussion groups are now emerging as a useful forum for having the pros and cons of major issues debated. Large scale protests have been tried throughout the country, but do not appear to have achieved any worthwhile success, mainly because they have been aimed in either illegal or unachievable directions. In the final analysis, such actions are only a distraction from the really worthwhile opportunities that exist for getting fair compensation for property devaluation.
Experience: Having been involved in trying to get compensation for landowners for the past several years, my experience informs me that satisfactory results can be achieved if the approach is correct. The official ESB/Eirgrid position is that they will comply with the entitlement, as covered by the Gormley Supreme Court judgement, but as powerlines do not devalue a property, the compensation for same will always be zero, and if landowners think otherwise, they should go to arbitration. Unfortunately, this then frightens landowners, and the relevant compensation is foregone.
Despite the Gormley success in the Supreme Court, ESB/Eirgrid have succeeded in getting powerlines erected throughout the country, without having to concede that there is devaluation of property.
This has been achieved by powerful and professional management and PR work. Farmers should try the same approach.
Richard Collins is an agricultural consultant and valuer and can be contacted at FBA House, Fermoy, Co Cork
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label energy planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label energy planning. Show all posts
Friday, 4 November 2011
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Gas exploration firm says 'no danger to health or environment'
The Australian company planning to build as many as 500 gas wells on thousands of acres in the north-west region denied yesterday it will use chemicals linked to cancer and tap water pollution.
According to the Irish Independent, Tamboran has been awarded the licence to make preliminary drillings for onshore natural gas in the Lough Allen basin, which takes in all of North Leitrim, and parts of counties Sligo, Roscommon, west Cavan and Donegal.
The volume of gas trapped in shale rock has been estimated to be worth tens of billions of euro.
Hundreds of people have been attending public meetings in the north-west where they were told huge stretches of water could be at risk of pollution from the project because of the controversial method of 'fracking' -- or hydraulic fracturing -- used to obtain the gas below the surface.
Fracking has come under scrutiny internationally due to concerns about environmental and health safety and has been suspended or banned in some countries, including France and parts of the US and Britain. The practice has also been blamed for causing earthquakes in the UK.
Fracking for underground gas was suspended recently near Blackpool after the operation caused mini-earthquakes.
Such tremors are caused when water pumped underground at high pressure has nowhere to go and effectively causes rock explosions, sometimes with a magnitude of 4.7.
A 2010 study by the US EPA "discovered contaminants in drinking water including: arsenic and copper adjacent to drilling operations which can cause illnesses including cancer, kidney failure, anaemia and fertility problems".
The EPA said a broad range of sources were being investigated, including agricultural activity, but noted gas drilling as a potential cause.
At an Oireachtas committee yesterday, Tamboran CEO Richard Moorman said the firm planned to construct as many as 500 gas wells, one every two to four kilometres, mainly in north Leitrim and Cavan, using one million gallons of water per well.
The company is also examining sub-structures in Bundoran, Mullaghmore, and Benbulben.
Mr Moorman insisted they would not use any chemicals to help force out the gas from the rocks below ground.
An Taisce chairman Charles Stanley-Smith called for a ban on fracking in Ireland and said the fluids used elsewhere "contain known and potential carcinogens".
"It was also linked to leaks of radioactive gases, contamination of water supplies, reproduction problems and damage to aquatic life, he told the Oireachtas Environment Committee.
Ciaran O hObain, principal officer at the Department of Energy and Natural Resources, told the committee such a project would have to be subject of an environmental impact report, as well as approval from the Environmental Protection Agency , local authorities, An Bord Pleanala, and the department itself.
He said natural gas production could start by 2019 if the project is approved.
Sligo Today
www.buckplanning.ie
According to the Irish Independent, Tamboran has been awarded the licence to make preliminary drillings for onshore natural gas in the Lough Allen basin, which takes in all of North Leitrim, and parts of counties Sligo, Roscommon, west Cavan and Donegal.
The volume of gas trapped in shale rock has been estimated to be worth tens of billions of euro.
Hundreds of people have been attending public meetings in the north-west where they were told huge stretches of water could be at risk of pollution from the project because of the controversial method of 'fracking' -- or hydraulic fracturing -- used to obtain the gas below the surface.
Fracking has come under scrutiny internationally due to concerns about environmental and health safety and has been suspended or banned in some countries, including France and parts of the US and Britain. The practice has also been blamed for causing earthquakes in the UK.
Fracking for underground gas was suspended recently near Blackpool after the operation caused mini-earthquakes.
Such tremors are caused when water pumped underground at high pressure has nowhere to go and effectively causes rock explosions, sometimes with a magnitude of 4.7.
A 2010 study by the US EPA "discovered contaminants in drinking water including: arsenic and copper adjacent to drilling operations which can cause illnesses including cancer, kidney failure, anaemia and fertility problems".
The EPA said a broad range of sources were being investigated, including agricultural activity, but noted gas drilling as a potential cause.
At an Oireachtas committee yesterday, Tamboran CEO Richard Moorman said the firm planned to construct as many as 500 gas wells, one every two to four kilometres, mainly in north Leitrim and Cavan, using one million gallons of water per well.
The company is also examining sub-structures in Bundoran, Mullaghmore, and Benbulben.
Mr Moorman insisted they would not use any chemicals to help force out the gas from the rocks below ground.
An Taisce chairman Charles Stanley-Smith called for a ban on fracking in Ireland and said the fluids used elsewhere "contain known and potential carcinogens".
"It was also linked to leaks of radioactive gases, contamination of water supplies, reproduction problems and damage to aquatic life, he told the Oireachtas Environment Committee.
Ciaran O hObain, principal officer at the Department of Energy and Natural Resources, told the committee such a project would have to be subject of an environmental impact report, as well as approval from the Environmental Protection Agency , local authorities, An Bord Pleanala, and the department itself.
He said natural gas production could start by 2019 if the project is approved.
Sligo Today
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 29 April 2011
Planning cost 1,000 jobs, says group
IRELAND RECENTLY lost 1,000 jobs in the renewable energy sector to the UK because our planning system is such a “a quagmire”, An Taisce’s national energy officer said yesterday.
Elizabeth Muldowney said a Spanish company involved in wind energy had investigated the possibility of locating in Ireland but had decided to set up in Britain instead because of the inconsistencies and uncertainty surrounding planning here.
She visited Madrid in recent weeks in an unsuccessful attempt to get the company to reverse its decision.
Ms Muldowney was participating in a debate at the Robert John Kane energy symposium in Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim about the need for an energy-specific planning body that could enable the sector to bypass local authorities and An Bord Pleanála.
Most speakers at the event criticised the lack of consistency among county planners.
Former environment minister Dick Roche described inconsistency as the “evil at the heart of the planning system”.
He said his experience was that “if I knew which planner was handling a file I would also be able to say what the decision will be”.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Elizabeth Muldowney said a Spanish company involved in wind energy had investigated the possibility of locating in Ireland but had decided to set up in Britain instead because of the inconsistencies and uncertainty surrounding planning here.
She visited Madrid in recent weeks in an unsuccessful attempt to get the company to reverse its decision.
Ms Muldowney was participating in a debate at the Robert John Kane energy symposium in Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim about the need for an energy-specific planning body that could enable the sector to bypass local authorities and An Bord Pleanála.
Most speakers at the event criticised the lack of consistency among county planners.
Former environment minister Dick Roche described inconsistency as the “evil at the heart of the planning system”.
He said his experience was that “if I knew which planner was handling a file I would also be able to say what the decision will be”.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 18 April 2011
Eirgrid says transfer of grid could save €40m a year
ELECTRICITY USERS could save an average of €40 million a year if ownership of the Republic’s national were transferred to Eirgrid, the company said yesterday.
The Government is committed to transferring ownership of the grid, which transmits electricity from power plants to the distribution network, from the ESB to Eirgrid, the State company which already manages it.
Yesterday, Eirgrid chairwoman Bernie Gray said experience in other countries that have taken similar steps has shown such a move generates big savings.
She estimated savings gained from the transfer would be €600 million over 15 years, an average of €40 million a year. These savings would ultimately be passed on to the businesses and households that use electricity.
The company said it had cut 20 per cent from the final estimated cost of planned reinvestment in the national grid.
Eirgrid plans to renew existing parts of the grid and add new elements to the network. Among other things this will prepare it to take increasing amounts of electricity generated by renewable methods such as wind power.
The original estimate of the cost of doing this was €4 billion. Chief executive Dermot Byrne said yesterday that the company now believed it could reduce that by €800 million to €3.2 billion.
He said the savings would be achieved through new technology, optimising existing resources and partly as a result of the recession.
The company plans to resubmit its application for planning for a new interconnection, running from Meath to Tyrone, in the second half of the year.
The discovery of a mistake in the original application last year halted a hearing into the proposal held by Bord Pleanála. Local people want the cables to be underground rather than on pylons.
Eirgrid manages the electricity grids North and South, and runs the single market for electricity through a subsidiary. Last year it made profits of €13.86 million on the back of a €443.7 million turnover.
The company is due to meet Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte today to discuss his plans for the wider sector.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Government is committed to transferring ownership of the grid, which transmits electricity from power plants to the distribution network, from the ESB to Eirgrid, the State company which already manages it.
Yesterday, Eirgrid chairwoman Bernie Gray said experience in other countries that have taken similar steps has shown such a move generates big savings.
She estimated savings gained from the transfer would be €600 million over 15 years, an average of €40 million a year. These savings would ultimately be passed on to the businesses and households that use electricity.
The company said it had cut 20 per cent from the final estimated cost of planned reinvestment in the national grid.
Eirgrid plans to renew existing parts of the grid and add new elements to the network. Among other things this will prepare it to take increasing amounts of electricity generated by renewable methods such as wind power.
The original estimate of the cost of doing this was €4 billion. Chief executive Dermot Byrne said yesterday that the company now believed it could reduce that by €800 million to €3.2 billion.
He said the savings would be achieved through new technology, optimising existing resources and partly as a result of the recession.
The company plans to resubmit its application for planning for a new interconnection, running from Meath to Tyrone, in the second half of the year.
The discovery of a mistake in the original application last year halted a hearing into the proposal held by Bord Pleanála. Local people want the cables to be underground rather than on pylons.
Eirgrid manages the electricity grids North and South, and runs the single market for electricity through a subsidiary. Last year it made profits of €13.86 million on the back of a €443.7 million turnover.
The company is due to meet Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte today to discuss his plans for the wider sector.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 4 March 2011
Gas drilling permits for Lough Allen area given
Two companies have been granted licences to explore an area in Lough Allen, where it is thought there may be large reserves of natural gas.
The Lough Allen Natural Gas Company (Langco) and Australian-based Tamboran Resources have been given onshore petroleum licences to explore the area which takes in parts of Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon, Cavan and Fermanagh. The area is known to geologists as the northwest carboniferous basin.
The licence will allow the companies to undertake shallow drilling to a depth of 200m (650ft) and carry out technical studies to ascertain whether the gas is commercially viable. If initial studies prove successful, the companies will have first option on a more expensive exploration licence which would be a step closer to extracting gas.
Langco believes there are 9.4 trillion cubic sq ft of gas or the energy equivalent of 1.5 billion barrels of oil in the area. This has a notional value of €94 billion at existing prices and could be considerably more by the time gas could be extracted from the ground.
The company’s managing director, Dr Martin Keeley, cautioned against premature expectations. He said the only thing certain was that there was gas present as successive studies had shown. However, they were a long way off from knowing whether it was worth extracting.
He distinguished between the resource number - which is the amount of gas in the ground - and the reserve number, the amount that is extractable. The two are often widely different.
“Only a small percentage of it might ever be extracted. We are still at too early a stage to get overexcited,” he said. “We will be taking a big risk trying to find out - but we know it’s there, which helps.
"Natural gas has already been found. The issue is one of economics and into that must be factored all necessary precautions to preserve and protect the environment and community,” he added.
Previous attempts were found to have been economically unviable, but the company believes that the rising price of gas and new technology could now make it a potentially viable proposition.
If the initial explorations are successful, the companies intend to return to the Petroleum Affairs Division of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and seek an exploration licence. However, this is a process that is at least over two years away.
Dr Keeley said there would be no question of deep drilling a beauty spot. “It would never be considered, nor would it be allowed to - and rightly so.”
Recently, the department also granted London-based oil exploration company Enegi Oil an onshore petroleum licensing option for the Clare Basin, an area which covers all of Clare and part of Kerry and Limerick.
The company believes there is shale gas similar to that found in Newfoundland, Canada. Both areas were joined together hundreds of millions of years ago.
Chief executive Alan Minty said they were investing up to €650,000 in the initial exploration of the area. He said they would apply for exploration licences should the work programme identify prospective targets.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The Lough Allen Natural Gas Company (Langco) and Australian-based Tamboran Resources have been given onshore petroleum licences to explore the area which takes in parts of Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon, Cavan and Fermanagh. The area is known to geologists as the northwest carboniferous basin.
The licence will allow the companies to undertake shallow drilling to a depth of 200m (650ft) and carry out technical studies to ascertain whether the gas is commercially viable. If initial studies prove successful, the companies will have first option on a more expensive exploration licence which would be a step closer to extracting gas.
Langco believes there are 9.4 trillion cubic sq ft of gas or the energy equivalent of 1.5 billion barrels of oil in the area. This has a notional value of €94 billion at existing prices and could be considerably more by the time gas could be extracted from the ground.
The company’s managing director, Dr Martin Keeley, cautioned against premature expectations. He said the only thing certain was that there was gas present as successive studies had shown. However, they were a long way off from knowing whether it was worth extracting.
He distinguished between the resource number - which is the amount of gas in the ground - and the reserve number, the amount that is extractable. The two are often widely different.
“Only a small percentage of it might ever be extracted. We are still at too early a stage to get overexcited,” he said. “We will be taking a big risk trying to find out - but we know it’s there, which helps.
"Natural gas has already been found. The issue is one of economics and into that must be factored all necessary precautions to preserve and protect the environment and community,” he added.
Previous attempts were found to have been economically unviable, but the company believes that the rising price of gas and new technology could now make it a potentially viable proposition.
If the initial explorations are successful, the companies intend to return to the Petroleum Affairs Division of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and seek an exploration licence. However, this is a process that is at least over two years away.
Dr Keeley said there would be no question of deep drilling a beauty spot. “It would never be considered, nor would it be allowed to - and rightly so.”
Recently, the department also granted London-based oil exploration company Enegi Oil an onshore petroleum licensing option for the Clare Basin, an area which covers all of Clare and part of Kerry and Limerick.
The company believes there is shale gas similar to that found in Newfoundland, Canada. Both areas were joined together hundreds of millions of years ago.
Chief executive Alan Minty said they were investing up to €650,000 in the initial exploration of the area. He said they would apply for exploration licences should the work programme identify prospective targets.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 22 November 2010
Energy use monitored using web browser
TWO INNOVATIVE projects that will save on energy costs and reduce energy demand were recognised at a ceremony during the first day of the Globe Forum event in Dublin.
Dr Antonio Ruzelli’s project will allow monitoring of energy consumption in the home using an ordinary web browser. David Connolly’s research on the integration of more wind power into the national grid was also rewarded.
Speaking at the event in Dublin’s convention centre, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan defended Ireland’s reputation as a centre of innovation excellence.
Mr Ryan said that “social networking and web-based companies are coming here. Literally, I could throw a stone from outside the building here and hit Google and Facebook and Yahoo and PayPal.”
Speaking after the event, Mr Connolly said that “unfortunately there are cutbacks in the area of funding to try and help the country survive at the moment, which long term isn’t really a good idea.
“The value that you add to a country by developing a new idea, especially a new practical idea, outweighs the cost of actually putting a student or a researcher through the process of doing it,” he said.
“We need to get more Irish companies talking to universities,” added Mr Ruzzelli. “For example, if some companies offer courses to final-year students that would help direct the research towards something that will have an impact on industry.”
The runner-up in the “Ireland’s Innovator” category was GeoGuides, a company which makes mobile phone applications for the tourism industry.
Aimee Byrne, who researches sustainable city planning at Trinity College Dublin was a finalist in the “Ireland’s Researcher” category.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dr Antonio Ruzelli’s project will allow monitoring of energy consumption in the home using an ordinary web browser. David Connolly’s research on the integration of more wind power into the national grid was also rewarded.
Speaking at the event in Dublin’s convention centre, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan defended Ireland’s reputation as a centre of innovation excellence.
Mr Ryan said that “social networking and web-based companies are coming here. Literally, I could throw a stone from outside the building here and hit Google and Facebook and Yahoo and PayPal.”
Speaking after the event, Mr Connolly said that “unfortunately there are cutbacks in the area of funding to try and help the country survive at the moment, which long term isn’t really a good idea.
“The value that you add to a country by developing a new idea, especially a new practical idea, outweighs the cost of actually putting a student or a researcher through the process of doing it,” he said.
“We need to get more Irish companies talking to universities,” added Mr Ruzzelli. “For example, if some companies offer courses to final-year students that would help direct the research towards something that will have an impact on industry.”
The runner-up in the “Ireland’s Innovator” category was GeoGuides, a company which makes mobile phone applications for the tourism industry.
Aimee Byrne, who researches sustainable city planning at Trinity College Dublin was a finalist in the “Ireland’s Researcher” category.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 19 November 2010
Offshore resources seen as key economic solution
THE IRISH Offshore Operators’ Association has said Ireland’s offshore resources could provide an “important solution” to the State’s economic problems.
The association, which represents the oil and gas industry, says that just two finds off the west coast could make a “big hole in the bill for Anglo Irish”.
A policy paper published by the the association this month, which is unusually upbeat, notes that the industry has spent about €3 billion drilling 130 exploration wells with “limited success”, and says a single exploration well off the west coast costs more than €50 million.
Shell EP Ireland recently plugged a satellite well north of the Corrib gas field which had promised additional gas reserves, having spent an estimated €65 million on drilling it over the summer, according to company sources.
The Corrib North well, 80km off the west coast, showed “some indications” of gas, but in “non-commercial quantities”, according to company sources.
However, the association refers in its policy paper to a 2006 Department of Energy estimate of “potential, yet-to-find” recoverable reserves of 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent, valued at €455 billion.
“This is around 100 times Ireland’s annual consumption of oil and gas,” the association says. Also quoting the department, it says a “major oil discovery off the northwest coast, of the order of 750 million barrels recoverable, would deliver some $22 billion in taxes (€16.5 billion) to the exchequer over its lifetime”.
“In another example, a substantial gas/condensate field, say twice the size of Corrib, located in the South Porcupine area, would, over its lifetime, pay $6.7 billion (€5 billion) in taxes,” the association says, and, taken together, the two would make a “big hole in the bill for Anglo-Irish”.
It argues that if the Corrib gas project had been on schedule, “substantial tax revenues . . . would be flowing into the exchequer”, and defends the current fiscal terms which, it says, have been the focus of “misinformation” and “unfavourable comment”.
A revised cost estimate for the Corrib gas field shows that the development could reach €2.5 billion, but the company has received €87 million in tax breaks. Significantly, the International Energy Agency last week predicted a global gas glut, which could last a decade, and which should lead to lower prices for consumers – but lower returns for multinationals involved in hydrocarbon exploitation.
The association says lessons can be drawn from the Corrib project, including the “primary need” for a “transparent, robust and legally binding administrative and regulatory regime” for field development. It says that in the case of a major discovery, a mechanism should be established to “co-ordinate and optimise the inputs of the various state agencies”.
Bord Pleanála is considering Shell EP Ireland’s new bid to seek approval for its onshore pipeline, linking the offshore landfall at Glengad to Ballinaboy, Co Mayo, 9km inland.
Last November, the board found that up to half of a second route proposed was unacceptable on safety grounds due to proximity to housing.
Minister of State for Natural Resources Conor Lenihan, who has opened up the Atlantic margin for licensing, recently travelled to Singapore to brief senior executives from the largest Asian oil companies about prospects. These include Petronas and STX, and the national oil corporations of Singapore, the Philippines and Korea.
The Campaign for Protection of Resources, of which Minster for Energy Eamon Ryan was a founding member while in Opposition, has described the move as a “giveaway”.
Irish Times
www.buckplannin.ie
The association, which represents the oil and gas industry, says that just two finds off the west coast could make a “big hole in the bill for Anglo Irish”.
A policy paper published by the the association this month, which is unusually upbeat, notes that the industry has spent about €3 billion drilling 130 exploration wells with “limited success”, and says a single exploration well off the west coast costs more than €50 million.
Shell EP Ireland recently plugged a satellite well north of the Corrib gas field which had promised additional gas reserves, having spent an estimated €65 million on drilling it over the summer, according to company sources.
The Corrib North well, 80km off the west coast, showed “some indications” of gas, but in “non-commercial quantities”, according to company sources.
However, the association refers in its policy paper to a 2006 Department of Energy estimate of “potential, yet-to-find” recoverable reserves of 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent, valued at €455 billion.
“This is around 100 times Ireland’s annual consumption of oil and gas,” the association says. Also quoting the department, it says a “major oil discovery off the northwest coast, of the order of 750 million barrels recoverable, would deliver some $22 billion in taxes (€16.5 billion) to the exchequer over its lifetime”.
“In another example, a substantial gas/condensate field, say twice the size of Corrib, located in the South Porcupine area, would, over its lifetime, pay $6.7 billion (€5 billion) in taxes,” the association says, and, taken together, the two would make a “big hole in the bill for Anglo-Irish”.
It argues that if the Corrib gas project had been on schedule, “substantial tax revenues . . . would be flowing into the exchequer”, and defends the current fiscal terms which, it says, have been the focus of “misinformation” and “unfavourable comment”.
A revised cost estimate for the Corrib gas field shows that the development could reach €2.5 billion, but the company has received €87 million in tax breaks. Significantly, the International Energy Agency last week predicted a global gas glut, which could last a decade, and which should lead to lower prices for consumers – but lower returns for multinationals involved in hydrocarbon exploitation.
The association says lessons can be drawn from the Corrib project, including the “primary need” for a “transparent, robust and legally binding administrative and regulatory regime” for field development. It says that in the case of a major discovery, a mechanism should be established to “co-ordinate and optimise the inputs of the various state agencies”.
Bord Pleanála is considering Shell EP Ireland’s new bid to seek approval for its onshore pipeline, linking the offshore landfall at Glengad to Ballinaboy, Co Mayo, 9km inland.
Last November, the board found that up to half of a second route proposed was unacceptable on safety grounds due to proximity to housing.
Minister of State for Natural Resources Conor Lenihan, who has opened up the Atlantic margin for licensing, recently travelled to Singapore to brief senior executives from the largest Asian oil companies about prospects. These include Petronas and STX, and the national oil corporations of Singapore, the Philippines and Korea.
The Campaign for Protection of Resources, of which Minster for Energy Eamon Ryan was a founding member while in Opposition, has described the move as a “giveaway”.
Irish Times
www.buckplannin.ie
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Eirgrid defends interconnector plan
EIRGRID HAS defended its proposal to build an interconnector in the northeast which would link electricity grids in the North and South.
Residents of the northeast, led by groups including the North East Pylon Pressure Group, have argued that large pylons and high-voltage overhead lines are not appropriate in the area.
More than 900 submissions have been made to An Bord Pleanála relating to the plan for some 140km of 400 kilovolt overhead line on lattice towers from Meath to Tyrone.
A public oral hearing into the plan in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, was attended by hundreds of people as it began yesterday.
The part of the electricity line within the State will cover 100 kilometres and will pass through Meath, Cavan and Monaghan before crossing the Border to a new substation in Co Tyrone.
People living in the northeast have suggested a number of options, including underground cables along existing rail lines.
This would not interfere with animal or human health and would not have a negative effect on farming or tourism, they argue.
However, many of the objectors have accepted in their submissions that improvement of the electricity infrastructure is needed.
Louis Fisher of Eirgrid said yesterday that the development was needed to improve electricity competition by reducing constraints to the all-island electricity market, to support renewable power generation, to improve the security of supply and to maintain the reliability of the network in the northeast, .
If the interconnector was not built, it would put the reliability of customer supply in the northeast at risk by 2017, he said.
The second interconnector was also needed in case of an unplanned outage at the existing interconnector from Louth to Armagh, which would have serious consequences.
This outage would cause “widespread disconnection of customers in one part of the system and system instability or even collapse in the other”, Mr Fisher said.
The risk and serious potential consequences of power system separation resulted in more expensive generation and higher electricity costs.
There was nothing particularly unusual about this project in its design, construction or operation, said Aidan Geoghegan technical specialist with Eirgrid.
He said there was no difference between this and more than 400 kilometres of line already operating safely.
However, the masts in this project would have less of a visual impact, he said.
Mr Geoghegan dismissed submissions that underground cables should be used. Overhead lines were equally as safe.
Forced outage duration of an underground cable would be at least 10 times longer than an overhead line because they take significantly longer to repair. While an overhead line might take a day or even repair itself the underground cables could take four weeks to fix, he said.
Despite concerns about fatalities with overhead cables, there was not a single fatality on overhead cables (110kv, 220kv or 400kv) since records began in 1995, Mr Geoghegan added.
Underground cables were used in specific circumstances such as under the sea as in the proposed Ireland and Wales interconnector, he said.
They were also estimated to cost up to 10 times more to construct than overhead lines.
Eirgrid has also dismissed calls for using the route of disused railway lines or placing cables under roads as railway lines and roads in the northeast would be too narrow for the development.
The hearing is expected to last until the end of June and local authorities, residents’ groups and the Department of the Environment and An Taisce will appear before the board.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Residents of the northeast, led by groups including the North East Pylon Pressure Group, have argued that large pylons and high-voltage overhead lines are not appropriate in the area.
More than 900 submissions have been made to An Bord Pleanála relating to the plan for some 140km of 400 kilovolt overhead line on lattice towers from Meath to Tyrone.
A public oral hearing into the plan in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, was attended by hundreds of people as it began yesterday.
The part of the electricity line within the State will cover 100 kilometres and will pass through Meath, Cavan and Monaghan before crossing the Border to a new substation in Co Tyrone.
People living in the northeast have suggested a number of options, including underground cables along existing rail lines.
This would not interfere with animal or human health and would not have a negative effect on farming or tourism, they argue.
However, many of the objectors have accepted in their submissions that improvement of the electricity infrastructure is needed.
Louis Fisher of Eirgrid said yesterday that the development was needed to improve electricity competition by reducing constraints to the all-island electricity market, to support renewable power generation, to improve the security of supply and to maintain the reliability of the network in the northeast, .
If the interconnector was not built, it would put the reliability of customer supply in the northeast at risk by 2017, he said.
The second interconnector was also needed in case of an unplanned outage at the existing interconnector from Louth to Armagh, which would have serious consequences.
This outage would cause “widespread disconnection of customers in one part of the system and system instability or even collapse in the other”, Mr Fisher said.
The risk and serious potential consequences of power system separation resulted in more expensive generation and higher electricity costs.
There was nothing particularly unusual about this project in its design, construction or operation, said Aidan Geoghegan technical specialist with Eirgrid.
He said there was no difference between this and more than 400 kilometres of line already operating safely.
However, the masts in this project would have less of a visual impact, he said.
Mr Geoghegan dismissed submissions that underground cables should be used. Overhead lines were equally as safe.
Forced outage duration of an underground cable would be at least 10 times longer than an overhead line because they take significantly longer to repair. While an overhead line might take a day or even repair itself the underground cables could take four weeks to fix, he said.
Despite concerns about fatalities with overhead cables, there was not a single fatality on overhead cables (110kv, 220kv or 400kv) since records began in 1995, Mr Geoghegan added.
Underground cables were used in specific circumstances such as under the sea as in the proposed Ireland and Wales interconnector, he said.
They were also estimated to cost up to 10 times more to construct than overhead lines.
Eirgrid has also dismissed calls for using the route of disused railway lines or placing cables under roads as railway lines and roads in the northeast would be too narrow for the development.
The hearing is expected to last until the end of June and local authorities, residents’ groups and the Department of the Environment and An Taisce will appear before the board.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Power plant to be built in Co Offaly
An Bord Pleanála has approved an application for a 350 megawatt gas fired power plant in Co Offaly.
Lumcloon Energy, the private consortium behind the project, expects to create 500 jobs during construction and up to 50 permanent jobs when the plant is completed.
The €350 million gas fired power plant, planned at the site of an old peat power plant at Lumcloon near Ferbane, will be backed up by wind energy.
Spokesman for Lumcloon Energy, Mr John Gallagher expressed his delight at the decision. He said it wouldn’t have been easy without local support.
“There was no specific objection to Lumcloon which I think is virtually unique to a project like this,” he explained. With construction expected to begin around the end of 2010 the Taoiseach has already been asked to turn the sod, he revealed.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Lumcloon Energy, the private consortium behind the project, expects to create 500 jobs during construction and up to 50 permanent jobs when the plant is completed.
The €350 million gas fired power plant, planned at the site of an old peat power plant at Lumcloon near Ferbane, will be backed up by wind energy.
Spokesman for Lumcloon Energy, Mr John Gallagher expressed his delight at the decision. He said it wouldn’t have been easy without local support.
“There was no specific objection to Lumcloon which I think is virtually unique to a project like this,” he explained. With construction expected to begin around the end of 2010 the Taoiseach has already been asked to turn the sod, he revealed.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Gas pipeline gets green light
The Commission for Energy Regulation has given the go-ahead for work on the pipeline for the Shannon Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal, in Tarbert, Co Kerry, to start.
The 26km pipeline will connect the terminal, at Kilcolgan Lower, Tarbert, to the national gas grid, west of Foynes, Co Limerick, bringing gas to Co Kerry for the first time.
According to the Construction Industry Federation (CFI), thousands of jobs have been lost in the building industry in the county. Numbers on the Live Register in Kerry now exceed 15,000, doubling in three years.
Kerry North Fine Gael TD Jimmy Deenihan said the gas pipeline would provide an essential boost to the local economy.
"Unemployment in the area stretching from Tralee to Tarbert has doubled in the past two years. We have seen one factory after another closing down," he said. The deputy said the gas project would have economic benefits for Kerry for years to come.
Calling for more capital investment in the area by the Government, he said only one school, Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee, had been provided in north Kerry since 1998.
In contrast, 10 new schools had been built in south Kerry, he claimed.
Mr Deenihan said that while sporting organisations benefited from the presence of John O’Donoghue as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Kerry had been left seriously wanting in relation to water treatment plants, broadband and other services.
He said the deficit was especially apparent in education, with a pressing need for new schools in the Blennerville and Baloonagh areas of Tralee.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The 26km pipeline will connect the terminal, at Kilcolgan Lower, Tarbert, to the national gas grid, west of Foynes, Co Limerick, bringing gas to Co Kerry for the first time.
According to the Construction Industry Federation (CFI), thousands of jobs have been lost in the building industry in the county. Numbers on the Live Register in Kerry now exceed 15,000, doubling in three years.
Kerry North Fine Gael TD Jimmy Deenihan said the gas pipeline would provide an essential boost to the local economy.
"Unemployment in the area stretching from Tralee to Tarbert has doubled in the past two years. We have seen one factory after another closing down," he said. The deputy said the gas project would have economic benefits for Kerry for years to come.
Calling for more capital investment in the area by the Government, he said only one school, Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee, had been provided in north Kerry since 1998.
In contrast, 10 new schools had been built in south Kerry, he claimed.
Mr Deenihan said that while sporting organisations benefited from the presence of John O’Donoghue as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Kerry had been left seriously wanting in relation to water treatment plants, broadband and other services.
He said the deficit was especially apparent in education, with a pressing need for new schools in the Blennerville and Baloonagh areas of Tralee.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 21 September 2009
Eirgrid gets permit for link
NATIONAL ELECTRICITY network operator Eirgrid yesterday got the green light for its planned €600 million power link between Wales and Ireland.
Eirgrid said that An Bord Pleanála has given it permission to build an interconnector between the east coast and north Wales that will transmit electricity between Britain and Ireland.
The interconnector will have the capacity to carry 500 megawatts of electricity, roughly the same amount as of that generated by a medium-sized power plant.
According to Eirgrid, this is enough power to supply 300,000 homes. The project will require an investment of €600 million. Its construction will create about 100 jobs and work will be finished in 2012.
The grid operator has hired Swedish company ABB to carry out the work. The firm manufactures cables, switches and most equipment needed by electricity transmission systems. It also designs and builds the systems itself.
The interconnector will link Deeside in north Wales and Woodland in Co Meath, where Eirgrid operates a substation. It will come ashore close to Rush, Co Dublin.
Eirgrid, a State agency, applied to An Bord Pleanála’s strategic infrastructure division for permission to build the interconnector. Eirgrid chief executive Dermot Byrne described the planning board’s decision as a major milestone, and added that the project will be delivered on time.
“As an island of five million people that is over 90 per cent dependent on imported fossil fuels for our energy, we have an immediate and pressing need to improve our security of supply, and to enhance our capacity to generate renewable energy. The east-west interconnector will help us do both,” he said.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Eirgrid said that An Bord Pleanála has given it permission to build an interconnector between the east coast and north Wales that will transmit electricity between Britain and Ireland.
The interconnector will have the capacity to carry 500 megawatts of electricity, roughly the same amount as of that generated by a medium-sized power plant.
According to Eirgrid, this is enough power to supply 300,000 homes. The project will require an investment of €600 million. Its construction will create about 100 jobs and work will be finished in 2012.
The grid operator has hired Swedish company ABB to carry out the work. The firm manufactures cables, switches and most equipment needed by electricity transmission systems. It also designs and builds the systems itself.
The interconnector will link Deeside in north Wales and Woodland in Co Meath, where Eirgrid operates a substation. It will come ashore close to Rush, Co Dublin.
Eirgrid, a State agency, applied to An Bord Pleanála’s strategic infrastructure division for permission to build the interconnector. Eirgrid chief executive Dermot Byrne described the planning board’s decision as a major milestone, and added that the project will be delivered on time.
“As an island of five million people that is over 90 per cent dependent on imported fossil fuels for our energy, we have an immediate and pressing need to improve our security of supply, and to enhance our capacity to generate renewable energy. The east-west interconnector will help us do both,” he said.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Application to build gas-fired power station at Ferbane
AN APPLICATION has been lodged with An Bord Pleanála for a €300 million 325 megawatt gas-fired power station in Ferbane, Co Offaly.
The application by Offaly-based Lumcloon Energy, which plans to feed into the national grid at peak times as a back-up to wind energy, could create 50 jobs.
The proposed plant would operate on the site of the former ESB peat-burning Ferbane power station, which was demolished in 2002.
Lumcloon Energy applied to the Commission on Energy Regulation in 2008. It is hoping to be granted a licence this year.
Lumcloon Energy spokesman John Gallagher said the plant would create 500 jobs during construction and a further 50 permanent positions on completion.
“The hope is that the planning process will be dealt with by the end of this year or early in next year. Construction should take about two years; by 2012 we should be ready.”
The plant will consist of two generating units – a flexible unit consisting of two gas turbines and one steam turbine and a smaller simple-cycle unit. The simple-cycle unit is a reserve/peaking unit to support wind energy power plants in the event of a rapid fall-off in wind generation.
Lumcloon Energy says the plant will also be the first to use a new, more efficient design for condensing steam produced at the plant back into water.
The proposed plant has been specifically designed to support the Government’s plans to develop renewable energy.
As the Government plans to generate 40 per cent of Ireland’s energy from wind by 2020, the plant has been designed for quick back-up in case of energy shortages due to calm weather, said Mr Gallagher.
The proposal has been met with approval locally. “We have held a number of consultations and briefing meetings over a year, and there has been strong support locally,” said Mr Gallagher.
Local councillor Eamon Dooley (FF) welcomed the proposed site.
“The site they have there was already an industrial site and it is going to be a lot cleaner then what we had there before.”
He said although the introduction of a gas pipeline from Athlone was of concern to a small number of landowners, the general consensus was positive.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The application by Offaly-based Lumcloon Energy, which plans to feed into the national grid at peak times as a back-up to wind energy, could create 50 jobs.
The proposed plant would operate on the site of the former ESB peat-burning Ferbane power station, which was demolished in 2002.
Lumcloon Energy applied to the Commission on Energy Regulation in 2008. It is hoping to be granted a licence this year.
Lumcloon Energy spokesman John Gallagher said the plant would create 500 jobs during construction and a further 50 permanent positions on completion.
“The hope is that the planning process will be dealt with by the end of this year or early in next year. Construction should take about two years; by 2012 we should be ready.”
The plant will consist of two generating units – a flexible unit consisting of two gas turbines and one steam turbine and a smaller simple-cycle unit. The simple-cycle unit is a reserve/peaking unit to support wind energy power plants in the event of a rapid fall-off in wind generation.
Lumcloon Energy says the plant will also be the first to use a new, more efficient design for condensing steam produced at the plant back into water.
The proposed plant has been specifically designed to support the Government’s plans to develop renewable energy.
As the Government plans to generate 40 per cent of Ireland’s energy from wind by 2020, the plant has been designed for quick back-up in case of energy shortages due to calm weather, said Mr Gallagher.
The proposal has been met with approval locally. “We have held a number of consultations and briefing meetings over a year, and there has been strong support locally,” said Mr Gallagher.
Local councillor Eamon Dooley (FF) welcomed the proposed site.
“The site they have there was already an industrial site and it is going to be a lot cleaner then what we had there before.”
He said although the introduction of a gas pipeline from Athlone was of concern to a small number of landowners, the general consensus was positive.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Energy plan to set 'clear and unambiguous' targets
THE GOVERNMENT’S National Energy Efficiency Plan, laying down “clear and unambiguous targets” for all sectors of the economy is to be published shortly, according to Minister for the Environment John Gormley.
Speaking last night at the presentation of the Irish Architecture Awards 2009, he said the new targets would apply to the public service, residential, commercial and industrial sectors, transport providers and energy suppliers.
The Minister noted that minimum energy performance standards for all homes covered by Part L of the building regulations become fully effective from next Wednesday. These would result in a 40 per cent improvement on the previous (2005) standards.
“A framework for achieving the ultimate goal of a carbon neutral building standard for dwellings by 2013 is nearing completion and will be available for consultation with industry and the wider public in the near future,” he said.
He added “green economy thinking is no hollow aspiration”, but was already happening as a result of Government interventions. For example, he noted that 1,400 small construction firms had registered for Sustainable Energy Ireland’s Greener Homes scheme.
As for architects, the Minister recognised that this was a time of “immense challenge”, saying he believed that a growing focus on quality “must be retained and nurtured” because it was by delivering quality design that the profession would best sustain itself.
In the awards, which were presented by RTÉ broadcaster Ryan Tubridy, Abbeyleix Library in Co Laois by deBlacam and Meagher Architects won the conservation/ restoration category for showing such aplomb in transforming the town’s former market house.
The Best Cultural Building award predictably went to the Wexford Opera House, by OPW Architects in association with Keith Williams, for what the jury described as an “exceptional new home contained within a bold contemporary form that rises theatrically” above the skyline.
Ó Briain Beary Architects won the Best Public Building award for Leixlip Garda station, which the jury’s citation said “defies the constraints traditionally associated with this brief and an unpromising suburban site to create an elegant and resourceful architectural composition”.
A2 Architects won the Best Educational Project award for the French School’s Eurocampus in Clonskeagh, Dublin. The jury was impressed by their “careful and confident architectural gesture without unnecessary deference” to existing buildings on the site.
The Public Choice Award, not surprisingly, went to the redevelopment of Thomond Park in Limerick by Murray O’Laoire and AFL Architects. A President’s Award was presented to Grafton Architects, for the Bocconi University Faculty Building in Milan, transcending every category.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Speaking last night at the presentation of the Irish Architecture Awards 2009, he said the new targets would apply to the public service, residential, commercial and industrial sectors, transport providers and energy suppliers.
The Minister noted that minimum energy performance standards for all homes covered by Part L of the building regulations become fully effective from next Wednesday. These would result in a 40 per cent improvement on the previous (2005) standards.
“A framework for achieving the ultimate goal of a carbon neutral building standard for dwellings by 2013 is nearing completion and will be available for consultation with industry and the wider public in the near future,” he said.
He added “green economy thinking is no hollow aspiration”, but was already happening as a result of Government interventions. For example, he noted that 1,400 small construction firms had registered for Sustainable Energy Ireland’s Greener Homes scheme.
As for architects, the Minister recognised that this was a time of “immense challenge”, saying he believed that a growing focus on quality “must be retained and nurtured” because it was by delivering quality design that the profession would best sustain itself.
In the awards, which were presented by RTÉ broadcaster Ryan Tubridy, Abbeyleix Library in Co Laois by deBlacam and Meagher Architects won the conservation/ restoration category for showing such aplomb in transforming the town’s former market house.
The Best Cultural Building award predictably went to the Wexford Opera House, by OPW Architects in association with Keith Williams, for what the jury described as an “exceptional new home contained within a bold contemporary form that rises theatrically” above the skyline.
Ó Briain Beary Architects won the Best Public Building award for Leixlip Garda station, which the jury’s citation said “defies the constraints traditionally associated with this brief and an unpromising suburban site to create an elegant and resourceful architectural composition”.
A2 Architects won the Best Educational Project award for the French School’s Eurocampus in Clonskeagh, Dublin. The jury was impressed by their “careful and confident architectural gesture without unnecessary deference” to existing buildings on the site.
The Public Choice Award, not surprisingly, went to the redevelopment of Thomond Park in Limerick by Murray O’Laoire and AFL Architects. A President’s Award was presented to Grafton Architects, for the Bocconi University Faculty Building in Milan, transcending every category.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Green energies give rise to 'eco-bling'
ATTEMPTS TO make buildings more energy-efficient by installing expensive “green technologies” have resulted in the rise of “eco-bling”, a symposium in Trinity College heard yesterday.
Academics and practitioners of sustainable energies said much money was being spent on micro-renewable energy systems when extra insulation and draught-proofing would be more effective.
The symposium heard some expensive technologies such as photo-voltaic cells, which take energy from sunshine, can take up to 50 years to pay for themselves in saved energy costs. However, photo-voltaic cells often have a useful life of just 20 years, making them effectively “eco-bling”.
Howard Liddell of Gaia Architects, which has been working on eco-design in Scotland and Norway since 1984, said heat pumps, photo-voltaic cells, solar panels, even in some instances wind turbines, were types of renewable energies which frequently did not stand up to “crunching the numbers”.
In his lecture, “Nega Watts – the antidote to Eco-bling” Mr Liddell said preventing heat loss was by definition among the best ways to achieve energy efficiency.
He said he had never seen a heat pump in operation which offered a return as good as three units of energy output for each unit which went in, yet these were regularly advertised as “four units of output for one unit in”.
Photo-voltaic cells which make energy from sunshine offered a 50-year payback, but all too often have a 20-year useful life.
He was critical of new housing schemes which advertised “10 percent of energy from renewables” when research showed clearly the best way to achieve energy efficiency was simply to reduce waste.
The optimum measure was “super insulation”, making a house air-tight, “instead of heating the sky”. However, he asked, “How do you make insulation and air-tightness sound as sexy as 10 per cent from renewables?”
He said “green” buildings with micro-renewable energies tended to be lived in by environmentalists, and cost more to build. Super-insulated buildings with only air tightness and passive solar gain tended to be lived in by “ordinary people” and did not cost more to build.
In his address, “Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air” Prof David MacKay of the department of physics at Cambridge University, England, asked whether renewable energy has the capacity to meet society’s demands. He concluded that Britain, as an example, could survive on renewable energies alone – but only with massive societal changes and most of its land mass utilised by biofuel crops, alongside tidal, wind and wave energy farms.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Academics and practitioners of sustainable energies said much money was being spent on micro-renewable energy systems when extra insulation and draught-proofing would be more effective.
The symposium heard some expensive technologies such as photo-voltaic cells, which take energy from sunshine, can take up to 50 years to pay for themselves in saved energy costs. However, photo-voltaic cells often have a useful life of just 20 years, making them effectively “eco-bling”.
Howard Liddell of Gaia Architects, which has been working on eco-design in Scotland and Norway since 1984, said heat pumps, photo-voltaic cells, solar panels, even in some instances wind turbines, were types of renewable energies which frequently did not stand up to “crunching the numbers”.
In his lecture, “Nega Watts – the antidote to Eco-bling” Mr Liddell said preventing heat loss was by definition among the best ways to achieve energy efficiency.
He said he had never seen a heat pump in operation which offered a return as good as three units of energy output for each unit which went in, yet these were regularly advertised as “four units of output for one unit in”.
Photo-voltaic cells which make energy from sunshine offered a 50-year payback, but all too often have a 20-year useful life.
He was critical of new housing schemes which advertised “10 percent of energy from renewables” when research showed clearly the best way to achieve energy efficiency was simply to reduce waste.
The optimum measure was “super insulation”, making a house air-tight, “instead of heating the sky”. However, he asked, “How do you make insulation and air-tightness sound as sexy as 10 per cent from renewables?”
He said “green” buildings with micro-renewable energies tended to be lived in by environmentalists, and cost more to build. Super-insulated buildings with only air tightness and passive solar gain tended to be lived in by “ordinary people” and did not cost more to build.
In his address, “Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air” Prof David MacKay of the department of physics at Cambridge University, England, asked whether renewable energy has the capacity to meet society’s demands. He concluded that Britain, as an example, could survive on renewable energies alone – but only with massive societal changes and most of its land mass utilised by biofuel crops, alongside tidal, wind and wave energy farms.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 10 May 2009
Over 1,000 buildings for energy-saving refurbishment
MORE THAN 1,000 large-scale public buildings are to be refurbished to reduce energy consumption by up to one third, and all new housing is to be "carbon neutral" by 2020, the Government announced yesterday.
The targets, among some 90 separate measures aimed at creating a "greener Ireland", are intended to save the State €1.6 billion annually in energy costs by 2020. This is to be achieved through a 20 per cent overall reduction in energy wastage, including a 33 per cent reduction from the public sector.
The intention is also to shift Ireland's energy requirement from fossil fuels to more secure and ultimately cheaper renewable energies.
Among private sector measures proposed are a stipulation that private landlords whose tenants receive rent allowance should achieve Building Energy Ratings (BER) for their properties which meet specific minimum standards.
It is hoped this measure is to be in place by the end of this year, with the costs of the BER borne by landlords. Landlords whose premises fail to meet energy efficiency standards or who fail to upgrade would find their premises no longer qualify for rent assistance.
In requiring that all new Irish housing be carbon neutral - at least in its energy consumption - by 2020, the measures go beyond what was previously anticipated. Building regulations due in 2010 are only expected to create a 60 per cent rise on 2002 base levels, with a further review in 2013 increasing this by 10 per cent. This will involve far greater insulation and use of renewable energies.
In the public sector, Government and local authority buildings are to be refurbished or "retrofitted" with renewable energy sources, increased insulation and special glazing measures to enhance energy efficiency.
All public sector bodies are to be required to produce an annual report outlining their progress towards the 33 per cent target.
In addition, the State procurement spending of up to €10 billion per year will from 2009 be subject to new guidelines on purchasing energy efficient products and services.
The energy sector itself is to be required to supply low-carbon energy to all customers and assist them to use it as efficiently as possible.
Appropriate market interventions such as grants, demonstrations and tax breaks will be provided, but it is expected by Government that the measures would almost all be self-financing.
Announcing the measures yesterday, Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan said the cheapest way to achieve energy efficiency - which would in turn save consumers money on heating bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions - was to reduce waste.
He said the aim was "to bring back sense into our energy use. In my first year in Government I focused on changing how we create our energy. This year we will prioritise how we save on energy use and energy costs, bringing down our emissions at the same time."
He added that €1.6 billion a year saved was money that could make a significant difference to health and education services.
Mr Ryan, who was accompanied at the launch by international expert on energy efficiency Amory Lovins, said his department was already talking to specialist energy services companies and banks on how the cost savings achieved in public buildings could be brought forward and used to pay for the necessary conversion work.
Around the world, he said, costs had been reduced by making necessary changes when buildings came up for refurbishment, but he wanted to be "more proactive than that".
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The targets, among some 90 separate measures aimed at creating a "greener Ireland", are intended to save the State €1.6 billion annually in energy costs by 2020. This is to be achieved through a 20 per cent overall reduction in energy wastage, including a 33 per cent reduction from the public sector.
The intention is also to shift Ireland's energy requirement from fossil fuels to more secure and ultimately cheaper renewable energies.
Among private sector measures proposed are a stipulation that private landlords whose tenants receive rent allowance should achieve Building Energy Ratings (BER) for their properties which meet specific minimum standards.
It is hoped this measure is to be in place by the end of this year, with the costs of the BER borne by landlords. Landlords whose premises fail to meet energy efficiency standards or who fail to upgrade would find their premises no longer qualify for rent assistance.
In requiring that all new Irish housing be carbon neutral - at least in its energy consumption - by 2020, the measures go beyond what was previously anticipated. Building regulations due in 2010 are only expected to create a 60 per cent rise on 2002 base levels, with a further review in 2013 increasing this by 10 per cent. This will involve far greater insulation and use of renewable energies.
In the public sector, Government and local authority buildings are to be refurbished or "retrofitted" with renewable energy sources, increased insulation and special glazing measures to enhance energy efficiency.
All public sector bodies are to be required to produce an annual report outlining their progress towards the 33 per cent target.
In addition, the State procurement spending of up to €10 billion per year will from 2009 be subject to new guidelines on purchasing energy efficient products and services.
The energy sector itself is to be required to supply low-carbon energy to all customers and assist them to use it as efficiently as possible.
Appropriate market interventions such as grants, demonstrations and tax breaks will be provided, but it is expected by Government that the measures would almost all be self-financing.
Announcing the measures yesterday, Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan said the cheapest way to achieve energy efficiency - which would in turn save consumers money on heating bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions - was to reduce waste.
He said the aim was "to bring back sense into our energy use. In my first year in Government I focused on changing how we create our energy. This year we will prioritise how we save on energy use and energy costs, bringing down our emissions at the same time."
He added that €1.6 billion a year saved was money that could make a significant difference to health and education services.
Mr Ryan, who was accompanied at the launch by international expert on energy efficiency Amory Lovins, said his department was already talking to specialist energy services companies and banks on how the cost savings achieved in public buildings could be brought forward and used to pay for the necessary conversion work.
Around the world, he said, costs had been reduced by making necessary changes when buildings came up for refurbishment, but he wanted to be "more proactive than that".
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 8 May 2009
Energy project offers solution to economy
AN energy project could make Ireland energy independent within five years and see us exporting energy in a decade.
According to Spirit of Ireland, who are behind the project, the solution to the economic crisis may lie in harnessing Ireland’s huge wind energy potential.
The first phase of the project promises energy independence for Ireland within five years, with a €10 billion boost to the economy. The second phase will see energy exports of €3bn to €5bn per year in years six, seven and eight, or up to €50bn over the following 10 years.
Over the past six months, a team of top engineers, academics, architects, geologists, hydro-geologists and other experts have been working intensively on an energy proposal by Prof Igor Shvets of Trinity College.
The proposal is based on using natural coastal valleys to provide hydro storage reservoirs. Wind farms would then be used to pump sea water into these reservoirs. The water can then be passed through turbines generating massive amounts of power.
According to the group, a similar model has been adopted successfully in Japan and senior executives and engineers visiting from Japan confirmed the validity of this approach for Ireland.
As well as harnessing excess energy for export, Spirit of Ireland believes the project will create jobs and cut our carbon dioxide emissions.
According to the group, to achieve energy independence and save €15bn in fossil fuel imports over five years, will require two hydro storage reservoirs at a cost of €800m each.
Wind farms will then be connected to the reservoirs.
The group proposes to launch a public company in the form of a national energy co-operative in which the public could buy shares.
Spokesman for Spirit of Ireland Graham O’Donnell, an electrical engineer, said: "Our people, pension funds and Government can invest in and support this initiative. This has potential to be of huge economic benefit to our country."
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
According to Spirit of Ireland, who are behind the project, the solution to the economic crisis may lie in harnessing Ireland’s huge wind energy potential.
The first phase of the project promises energy independence for Ireland within five years, with a €10 billion boost to the economy. The second phase will see energy exports of €3bn to €5bn per year in years six, seven and eight, or up to €50bn over the following 10 years.
Over the past six months, a team of top engineers, academics, architects, geologists, hydro-geologists and other experts have been working intensively on an energy proposal by Prof Igor Shvets of Trinity College.
The proposal is based on using natural coastal valleys to provide hydro storage reservoirs. Wind farms would then be used to pump sea water into these reservoirs. The water can then be passed through turbines generating massive amounts of power.
According to the group, a similar model has been adopted successfully in Japan and senior executives and engineers visiting from Japan confirmed the validity of this approach for Ireland.
As well as harnessing excess energy for export, Spirit of Ireland believes the project will create jobs and cut our carbon dioxide emissions.
According to the group, to achieve energy independence and save €15bn in fossil fuel imports over five years, will require two hydro storage reservoirs at a cost of €800m each.
Wind farms will then be connected to the reservoirs.
The group proposes to launch a public company in the form of a national energy co-operative in which the public could buy shares.
Spokesman for Spirit of Ireland Graham O’Donnell, an electrical engineer, said: "Our people, pension funds and Government can invest in and support this initiative. This has potential to be of huge economic benefit to our country."
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Ryan unveils energy-savings plan
Landlords who are paid through the State’s rent assistance scheme have been told they must upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties or lose the allowance.
Announcing plans to cut private sector energy wastage by 20 per cent by 2020, and by 33 per cent in the public sector, Mr Ryan said landlords will have to have a Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate, and achieve specific standards, by the end of this year, if they want to go on qualifying for the rental subsidy.
More than €700 million a year is paid out to landlords through the scheme.
Mr Ryan said the move would result in “warmer, happier homes” for tenants while reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. He added the investment by landlords was the “single best investment they can make in their properties getting an annual return of about 20 percent and increasing the value of the property”.
The move is one of almost 100 detailed steps the Government plans to introduce over the coming years to make Ireland a greener country and achieve annual savings by 2020 of €1.6billion.
At this morning's announcement, Mr Ryan was accompanied by Amory Lovins, chairman and chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Since the 1970s, Mr Lovins, named as one of Time magazine’s Most Influential People of 2009, has been an advocate for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
“In 1976, Amory Lovins predicted that by the beginnings of this century, 20 per cent of the energy we use will be wasted energy. It is the case that one fifth of all our energy is unused. Such waste with an expensive commodity makes no sense”, said Mr Ryan.
“Today, we will bring the sense back into our energy use. In my first year in Government, I focused on changing how we create our energy. This year, we will prioritise how we save on energy use and energy costs, bringing down our emissions at the same time.
"€1.6 billion is money that our economy could do with at this time.Vast savings on business and householder energy bills will help our competitiveness. The carbon emissions reductions will help us meet our Kyoto targets," the Minister said.
"There is a Turkish proverb, “No matter how far you’ve gone down the wrong road, turn back'. Today we are turning back, plotting a new energy direction and saving billions in the process.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Announcing plans to cut private sector energy wastage by 20 per cent by 2020, and by 33 per cent in the public sector, Mr Ryan said landlords will have to have a Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate, and achieve specific standards, by the end of this year, if they want to go on qualifying for the rental subsidy.
More than €700 million a year is paid out to landlords through the scheme.
Mr Ryan said the move would result in “warmer, happier homes” for tenants while reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. He added the investment by landlords was the “single best investment they can make in their properties getting an annual return of about 20 percent and increasing the value of the property”.
The move is one of almost 100 detailed steps the Government plans to introduce over the coming years to make Ireland a greener country and achieve annual savings by 2020 of €1.6billion.
At this morning's announcement, Mr Ryan was accompanied by Amory Lovins, chairman and chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Since the 1970s, Mr Lovins, named as one of Time magazine’s Most Influential People of 2009, has been an advocate for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
“In 1976, Amory Lovins predicted that by the beginnings of this century, 20 per cent of the energy we use will be wasted energy. It is the case that one fifth of all our energy is unused. Such waste with an expensive commodity makes no sense”, said Mr Ryan.
“Today, we will bring the sense back into our energy use. In my first year in Government, I focused on changing how we create our energy. This year, we will prioritise how we save on energy use and energy costs, bringing down our emissions at the same time.
"€1.6 billion is money that our economy could do with at this time.Vast savings on business and householder energy bills will help our competitiveness. The carbon emissions reductions will help us meet our Kyoto targets," the Minister said.
"There is a Turkish proverb, “No matter how far you’ve gone down the wrong road, turn back'. Today we are turning back, plotting a new energy direction and saving billions in the process.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Dublin could reduce emissions by switching technologies, study finds
DUBLIN COULD become a green, energy-efficient city by switching to currently available technologies in a series of moves which would largely pay for themselves, a new study on the capital’s carbon emissions has concluded.
According to the study from UCD’s School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, key changes in energy use, heating and transport could reduce Dublin’s carbon emissions by almost one-third by 2025, compared to 2005 levels.
The study which ranked potential CO2 abatement measures in terms of effectiveness and cost, found the most effective would be the generation of renewable electricity. This was followed by retro-fitting buildings to make them more energy efficient, while in third place was the completion of Transport 21.
But the study found modifying petrol and diesel cars was more effective than introducing electric cars, over the period. While 65 per cent of transport emissions in Dublin come from privately-owned cars, the study said the most effective measure in combating these emissions was to move ahead with Transport 21 with its two metro lines and improved Luas routes. This should be followed by “straight forward fuel efficiency” in car engines which the study said had abatement potential of 0.16megatonnes (mt) of CO2 by 2025, for petrol cars, and 0.13mt of CO2 for diesel.
Electric cars had a potential reduction of just 0.05 mt of CO2 by 2025, and then only if 12 per cent of all cars in the region were electrically powered. Other key moves included city district heating schemes, the use of domestic and commercial biomass fuels, traffic management, Led public lighting and vehicular biofuels.
The research, which recommended about 20 individual switches in technology uses, found greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, transport and energy could be reduced by about 28 per cent by 2025, compared to 2005 levels.
Until 2025 an incremental investment totalling €2.27 billion would be required to finance the changes, but three-quarters of the changes would be self-financing in about four years.
The approach to lowering CO2 emissions by switching technologies was endorsed by Dublin City Manager John Tierney who said “technology could play a major role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and it is also key to driving modern knowledge-based economies . . . there is a real opportunity to put Dublin at the vanguard of sustainable development”.
The UCD research team was led by Prof Gerry Byrne and Dr Donal Finn. It was sponsored by Siemens, whose chief executive Dr Werner Kruckow said the changes represented “a challenge, but not an insurmountable one”.
He described a future in which Dublin was an energy efficient, low CO2 city and said the alternative to investing in that future, was to have to pay for carbon credits. “A choice must be made, but to me it is a no-brainer” he said.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
According to the study from UCD’s School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, key changes in energy use, heating and transport could reduce Dublin’s carbon emissions by almost one-third by 2025, compared to 2005 levels.
The study which ranked potential CO2 abatement measures in terms of effectiveness and cost, found the most effective would be the generation of renewable electricity. This was followed by retro-fitting buildings to make them more energy efficient, while in third place was the completion of Transport 21.
But the study found modifying petrol and diesel cars was more effective than introducing electric cars, over the period. While 65 per cent of transport emissions in Dublin come from privately-owned cars, the study said the most effective measure in combating these emissions was to move ahead with Transport 21 with its two metro lines and improved Luas routes. This should be followed by “straight forward fuel efficiency” in car engines which the study said had abatement potential of 0.16megatonnes (mt) of CO2 by 2025, for petrol cars, and 0.13mt of CO2 for diesel.
Electric cars had a potential reduction of just 0.05 mt of CO2 by 2025, and then only if 12 per cent of all cars in the region were electrically powered. Other key moves included city district heating schemes, the use of domestic and commercial biomass fuels, traffic management, Led public lighting and vehicular biofuels.
The research, which recommended about 20 individual switches in technology uses, found greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, transport and energy could be reduced by about 28 per cent by 2025, compared to 2005 levels.
Until 2025 an incremental investment totalling €2.27 billion would be required to finance the changes, but three-quarters of the changes would be self-financing in about four years.
The approach to lowering CO2 emissions by switching technologies was endorsed by Dublin City Manager John Tierney who said “technology could play a major role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and it is also key to driving modern knowledge-based economies . . . there is a real opportunity to put Dublin at the vanguard of sustainable development”.
The UCD research team was led by Prof Gerry Byrne and Dr Donal Finn. It was sponsored by Siemens, whose chief executive Dr Werner Kruckow said the changes represented “a challenge, but not an insurmountable one”.
He described a future in which Dublin was an energy efficient, low CO2 city and said the alternative to investing in that future, was to have to pay for carbon credits. “A choice must be made, but to me it is a no-brainer” he said.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Hydro-electric plants planned for Kerry
HYDRO-ELECTRIC stations are to be constructed at water reservoirs in Kerry in an effort to reduce the council’s electricity bill.
The ESB bill for Kerry County Council last year amounted to more than €3.2 million, according to a report yesterday.
Most of the electricity cost, some 74 per cent of it amounting to €2.39 million, went on the operation of the county’s water and wastewater pumping and treatment plants, while €500,000 was spent on lighting small towns and villages. In 2001, the council installed a small hydro turbine at Lough Guitane, the lake which supplies half of the county’s water. This has generated more than €700,000 worth of electricity powering a nearby water-treatment plant.
The Lough Guitane plant will run for 50 years and continue to provide security of energy supply and reduced costs to the council, the report outlined.
The council is now examining hydro-electric generation at two other reservoirs and abstraction plants, John O’Connor, the council’s director of finance, told John Brassil, the councillor who requested the information.
Mr O’Connor said all investment programmes, including roads and housing, will be affected by cuts this year as a result of the economic difficulties experienced by the Government.
Some €55 out of every €100 the council received came from the exchequer. “If the exchequer is in difficulty, we are in serious difficulty as well,” he warned councillors. “All our works and investment programmes must be regularly reviewed and adjusted to meet the changed financial circumstances both nationally and locally.”
Very little discretion is being left to local authorities to manage their affairs this year as a result of the obligation on them to seek ministerial sanction for all borrowings, Mr O’Connor added.
He urged businesses to talk to the council and agree on a plan.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The ESB bill for Kerry County Council last year amounted to more than €3.2 million, according to a report yesterday.
Most of the electricity cost, some 74 per cent of it amounting to €2.39 million, went on the operation of the county’s water and wastewater pumping and treatment plants, while €500,000 was spent on lighting small towns and villages. In 2001, the council installed a small hydro turbine at Lough Guitane, the lake which supplies half of the county’s water. This has generated more than €700,000 worth of electricity powering a nearby water-treatment plant.
The Lough Guitane plant will run for 50 years and continue to provide security of energy supply and reduced costs to the council, the report outlined.
The council is now examining hydro-electric generation at two other reservoirs and abstraction plants, John O’Connor, the council’s director of finance, told John Brassil, the councillor who requested the information.
Mr O’Connor said all investment programmes, including roads and housing, will be affected by cuts this year as a result of the economic difficulties experienced by the Government.
Some €55 out of every €100 the council received came from the exchequer. “If the exchequer is in difficulty, we are in serious difficulty as well,” he warned councillors. “All our works and investment programmes must be regularly reviewed and adjusted to meet the changed financial circumstances both nationally and locally.”
Very little discretion is being left to local authorities to manage their affairs this year as a result of the obligation on them to seek ministerial sanction for all borrowings, Mr O’Connor added.
He urged businesses to talk to the council and agree on a plan.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Power plant poses no health risk, says firm
THE DEVELOPER of a 200 megawatt (MW) gas turbine power station proposed for east Galway says the project will not pose a health risk to local residents and will be environmentally sustainable.
Joe Hodgins, former manager of ESB’s Moneypoint coal-fired power station, was responding to fears voiced by over 200 schoolchildren, teachers and parents at a protest outside Galway County Council offices this week.
Galway West TDs Frank Fahey (FF) and Noel Grealish (Ind) and Senator Fidelma Healy Eames have backed residents’ calls for the proposed plant at Cashla, near Athenry, to be withdrawn.
Mr Fahey, who said he had submitted an objection, said “the company has not engaged in proper consultation with the local community and local residents are vehemently opposed to it”.
Mr Hodgins, managing director of Constant Energy Ltd in Loughrea, Co Galway, lodged the planning application several weeks ago for the 200MW open-cycle gas turbine plant at Cashla, Barrettspark, Co Galway.
The “peaking” power plant is designed to work with wind energy in providing back-up supply when wind power is intermittent.
Residents say the proposed plant poses a “risk to health, the environment, safety” and will cause “visual obtrusiveness, noise pollution, contamination of the ground and water supply”.
Anne Carey, principal of Scoil Mhuire National School in Lisheenkyle, Co Galway, said the site was less than 1km from the school premises.
“It is not a suitable location and I only learned about this proposal last Thursday – a week before the closure of submissions to the local authority,” she said.
She said several hundred people had signed a petition and a number of objections were lodged. The school organised three buses to transport 196 primary school pupils, younger siblings, parents and teachers to the council’s offices on Thursday, which was the deadline for objections to the planning application.
The residents’ group, “People before Profit”, argue that the proposed location for the plant is in a heavily-populated rural area, with 500 to 1,000 households and four primary schools in a three-mile radius.
“The proposed site is to be located on agricultural land which has not been zoned for any type of development,” the group said.
A similar project proposed for Claremorris, Co Mayo, was “successfully opposed” by residents, the group said. They added that residents in Ladera Ranch in California took their objections “all the way to the US Supreme Court to successfully overturn a decision to allow the building of a similar power station”.
The residents said they feared emissions could “lead to serious health issues and complications for the residents in the surrounding areas, especially for those already suffering with asthma, allergies or other respiratory illnesses”.
Mr Hodgins said the fears were groundless, and a voluntary public consultation had taken place last week in co-operation with the local development committee.
“This is a new and more efficient design of plant, run on natural gas, which will not run when wind energy is being fed into the grid,” he said. “In this way, it will actually contribute to a reduction in emissions nationally.”
The company’s plans were in the early stages, he said, as an integrated pollution prevention control would have to be applied for from the Environmental Protection Agency if planning permission was granted. A grid connection had been applied for, he said. “We would be very happy to work with the local community on this project,” he added.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Joe Hodgins, former manager of ESB’s Moneypoint coal-fired power station, was responding to fears voiced by over 200 schoolchildren, teachers and parents at a protest outside Galway County Council offices this week.
Galway West TDs Frank Fahey (FF) and Noel Grealish (Ind) and Senator Fidelma Healy Eames have backed residents’ calls for the proposed plant at Cashla, near Athenry, to be withdrawn.
Mr Fahey, who said he had submitted an objection, said “the company has not engaged in proper consultation with the local community and local residents are vehemently opposed to it”.
Mr Hodgins, managing director of Constant Energy Ltd in Loughrea, Co Galway, lodged the planning application several weeks ago for the 200MW open-cycle gas turbine plant at Cashla, Barrettspark, Co Galway.
The “peaking” power plant is designed to work with wind energy in providing back-up supply when wind power is intermittent.
Residents say the proposed plant poses a “risk to health, the environment, safety” and will cause “visual obtrusiveness, noise pollution, contamination of the ground and water supply”.
Anne Carey, principal of Scoil Mhuire National School in Lisheenkyle, Co Galway, said the site was less than 1km from the school premises.
“It is not a suitable location and I only learned about this proposal last Thursday – a week before the closure of submissions to the local authority,” she said.
She said several hundred people had signed a petition and a number of objections were lodged. The school organised three buses to transport 196 primary school pupils, younger siblings, parents and teachers to the council’s offices on Thursday, which was the deadline for objections to the planning application.
The residents’ group, “People before Profit”, argue that the proposed location for the plant is in a heavily-populated rural area, with 500 to 1,000 households and four primary schools in a three-mile radius.
“The proposed site is to be located on agricultural land which has not been zoned for any type of development,” the group said.
A similar project proposed for Claremorris, Co Mayo, was “successfully opposed” by residents, the group said. They added that residents in Ladera Ranch in California took their objections “all the way to the US Supreme Court to successfully overturn a decision to allow the building of a similar power station”.
The residents said they feared emissions could “lead to serious health issues and complications for the residents in the surrounding areas, especially for those already suffering with asthma, allergies or other respiratory illnesses”.
Mr Hodgins said the fears were groundless, and a voluntary public consultation had taken place last week in co-operation with the local development committee.
“This is a new and more efficient design of plant, run on natural gas, which will not run when wind energy is being fed into the grid,” he said. “In this way, it will actually contribute to a reduction in emissions nationally.”
The company’s plans were in the early stages, he said, as an integrated pollution prevention control would have to be applied for from the Environmental Protection Agency if planning permission was granted. A grid connection had been applied for, he said. “We would be very happy to work with the local community on this project,” he added.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
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