Gas-fired power plant planned for Limerick

DEVELOPERS have kicked off talks with An Bord Pleanala to deliver a huge gas-fired power plant in Limerick.

Kilshane Energy, an Armagh-based company, has identified land at Luddenmore near Ballyneety to develop the €150m project, which could generate up to 293 megawatts of power.

The huge development may be capable of powering up to 300,000 homes.

But, a spokesperson said, it will be primarily used to tackle energy shortages which may occur during extreme weather periods.

“These are not your regular power plants. These plants are tendered in competitively for Eirgrid approval. They will be brought on board at Eirgrid’s request when and if there are power shortages, or risk alerts,” they said, “They will run to provide backup.”

Although powered by fossil fuels, gas-fired power generators emit fewer greenhouse gases than existing coal and other fossil fuel plants.

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Kilshane Energy also has a similar project before planners in Fingal, Co Dublin. A number more are under consideration across Ireland after Environment Minister Eamon Ryan laid out a policy to build an extra two gigawatts of power generation to supplement the transition to renewables.

A source said although the overall goal is to move completely to renewables energy, this might not be practical given the changeable weather in Ireland.

Plants like these – which align with the government’s climate objectives – could bridge the gap, the source added.

Independent TD Richard O’Donoghue commented: “We have said from the outset they need units to be put in place to meet the demands on energy at the moment with the ESB. Coal emissions are very high. Anything that would bring down these emissions, I’d welcome.”