Moneypoint Power Station to end coal burning after 40 years
However, the plant will continue to provide security of supply for Ireland's electricity system by operating as a back-up out-of-market generator of last resort for Eirgrid.
It will use heavy oil for electricity generation in place of coal for the next four years.
ESB is continuing the transformation of its Moneypoint power station, at Kilrush in Co Clare, into a renewable energy hub by ending the use of coal for electricity generation six months earlier than planned.
It is a significant milestone in the organisation's Net Zero carbon emissions strategy.
Two years ago, it signed an agreement with EirGrid to keep the plant generating electricity using oil from 2025 up to 2029.
It will only be required to operate when the electricity system is short of generating capacity, and only under instruction from EirGrid.
Oil generation is less carbon intensive than coal generation, and the station is expected to see significantly less running during this four-year period.
Moneypoint will remain a key site for ESB and for the Mid-West region as the station evolves and transforms to support the Irish government to achieve its climate targets.
ESB commenced its transition away from fossil fuel generation at Moneypoint in 2017 with the construction of a 17MW onshore wind farm.
In 2021, it announced Green Atlantic at Moneypoint, a multi-billion-euro plan to transform the site into one of the country's largest renewable energy hubs, utilising its deep-water port and existing infrastructure.
Phase one of this plan was completed in 2022 with a €50 million investment in Ireland's first synchronous compensator, a zero-carbon technology that allows the system to utilise ever increasing amounts of use of renewable electricity.
The Moneypoint power station has been operating since the mid 1980s.
It contains three separate coal-fired power generating units, capable of producing up to 305 MW of electricity each, giving the plant a total electricity generation capacity of 915 MW.
At its peak of operation, it was capable of supplying about a quarter of Ireland's total electricity needs.
However, in recent years its contribution has been significantly lower than that.
Before the Moneypoint station was built Ireland was very heavily dependent on imported oil for the generation of electricity.
However, the oil crises of 1973 and 1979, and the crippling shortages that resulted, underscored domestic and international fears about the security of that oil supply.
It was because of that it was considered a good idea to include a substantial coal-fired power station in the electricity production mix.
Coal is the most carbon intensive of all fossil fuels and is about 25% more carbon intensive per unit of electricity generated than Heavy Fuel Oil it replaced.
However, back in the 1980's when Moneypoint was commissioned very little attention was paid to the issue of carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels for electricity.
It that regard is perhaps ironic now that, as Ireland is ending the use of coal for electricity generation because of climate policy, it is temporarily reverting to burning the same type of oil for electricity that was being used before the three coal-fired units at Moneypoint were commissioned in the first place.
This time round however, Moneypoint will not be active in the wholesale electricity market and will in effect only be operated for limited hours.
It will be used as a back-up, out of market generator, that Eirgrid can call on any time they need extra generation capacity to ensure a stable supply of electricity for the Irish market.
This means nevertheless that it will remain a critical station for the security of supply for the Irish electricity system, particularly over the winter period, and it will still be a significant source of carbon emission because it will burn a fossil fuel, oil.
ESB has installed two massive heavy fuel oil storage tanks at Moneypoint with a capacity between them of 50,000 tonnes.
Prior to this, the plant had the capacity to store enough coal for the generation of up to three months' supply of electricity.
It is intended that the back-up generation of electricity at the plant using heavy fuel oil will cease in 2029.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
18 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Housing is ‘central focus' of €30bn plan to boost investment and protect economy
The Government will this week roll out a €30bn plan to boost investment and protect the Irish economy in the face of US tariffs and recession fears. An additional €10bn of this is to be set aside for 'specific strategic investment' across water infrastructure, the Dublin Metro project, and the electricity grid. Public expenditure and reform minister Jack Chambers said the specific details of the 'ring-fenced' additional funding will be revealed on Tuesday. Coalition leaders met on Saturday to finalise details around updates to the National Development Plan which will ramp up investment in key infrastructure in a move to make Ireland a more attractive place to invest. Mr Chambers told Cabinet colleagues in recent weeks that investment in infrastructure is the most efficient way of safeguarding the economy, especially if the EU and the US end up in a trade war with tariffs above 10%. Senior Coalition sources accept that a 10% tariff is 'baked in' but warn that anything above that could have serious impacts on the Irish economy. Apple tax and AIB shares windfalls They said that Mr Chambers has argued for windfalls from the Apple tax case and sale of AIB shares to be pumped into addressing infrastructural deficits in the National Development Plan (NDP). Mr Chambers said this weekend that the Government will be seeking to 'provide the headroom' needed by Irish Water when it comes to providing additional housing supply. 'We've heard crystal clear the issues around the funding deficit which exists for Uisce Éireann, and the absolute need if we want to ramp up housing supply to address the concerns nationwide around water and wastewater infrastructure,' he told RTÉ's News at One. The 'whole central focus' of this review in the NDP is housing supply and the infrastructure which supports it, he added. There will also be a 'major uplift in our commitment to public transport, to roads projects and active travel', according to Mr Chambers. An additional €10bn of the extra €30bn investment is to be set aside for 'specific strategic investment' including Dublin Metro. However, Government also needs to 'ensure that in regions across our country, whether it's in the West or the South-West or elsewhere, that roads projects, which have been on the table for many years, are progressed', he added. 'That's fundamental to providing balanced regional development, addressing issues around road safety and ensuring we've got connectivity to our regions in the West of Ireland and elsewhere.' Extra money will be allocated in the NDP to defence spending, Mr Chambers confirmed. He rejected the idea that spending on other areas would be limited as a result. 'We can't ignore serious infrastructure deficits in water and energy and transport and housing, and that's why they're being prioritised around the overall allocation,' he said. The Government will also this week outline its summer economic statement, which will give a broad outline of the amount of money available both in this year's budget and over the next number of years in capital spending. Meanwhile, part of the Government's response to tariffs will include a new fund to be announced by enterprise minister Peter Burke, aiming to help companies most impacted by tariffs to cope with increases in costs due to the Trump administration's tariffs.
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
John Whelan: Trade war leaves Ireland's booming aviation sector vulnerable
US president Donald Trump's threat of a 30% tariff on EU goods from August 1 puts Ireland's continued growth narrative at risk. Exporters of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food and drink, and aviation services consider a 30% tariffs on their sales to the US would be very damaging and, in many instances, make supplying their customers across the Atlantic unsustainable. However, having been caught off guard by a letter threatening the 30% duty on EU goods the weekend before last, the European Commission last week quickly tabled a plan to put counter tariffs worth €72bn on imports of US goods. Inevitably, this will hit the European Union's own economy, with Ireland potentially being one of the most impacted. The proposed EU retaliatory tariffs target imports of industrial goods from the US, including aircraft and aircraft parts, machinery, automotives, chemicals and plastics, and medical devices and equipment. Potential EU countermeasures on aircraft imports, coupled with retaliation from the US administration, could risk Ireland's position as a world-leading hub in aviation. Aviation is a highly important part of the Irish trading base, covering aircraf and parts and set to be heavily impacted by EU countermeasures. Potential EU import restrictions on these goods, worth nearly €14bn, according to a document from the Central Statistics Office, would be very damaging to many companies in the sector, including the lucrative aircraft leasing sector. A recent report by aviation investment group Irelandia said the industry in Ireland accounts for 37% of the global commercial fleet, making Ireland a central player in the world's air transport infrastructure. Within the EU member states, the country with the biggest US aircraft imports in 2024 was Ireland, followed by France, the Netherlands, and Germany. Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, imports new aircraft on a regular basis. A 30% import duty would significantly increase the cost of acquiring these new planes. Increased import costs would also likely lead to higher operating expenses for Ryanair. This could affect their ability to maintain their low-cost model and potentially lead to fare increases or reduced profitability. If the cost of new aircraft becomes prohibitive, it could also delay Ryanair's expansion plans, potentially affecting the addition of new routes and increased flights on existing routes. Furthermore, increased costs might lead to a reduction in the number of aircraft available for service, potentially impacting their operational efficiency. Ryanair has already threatened to cancel orders for hundreds of Boeing aircraft if a US tariff war leads to materially higher prices, and said it could look at alternative suppliers, including Chinese plane maker COMAC. However, this will still leave Ryanair exposed to higher costs on Boeing-related maintenance, repair, and overhaul, all increasingly critical with the growth of their fleet. A new import tariff would add to these challenges, potentially exacerbating existing operational difficulties. Aviation between the US and EU is a highly interconnected sector. French multinational aerospace and defence company Thales with a manufacturing base in Northern Ireland, and supplies US-based Boeing and European competitor Airbus with flight management systems and cockpit displays. In exchange, US aerospace giant Honeywell provides flight management systems for Airbus. Hence, the EU's potential retaliatory tariffs on US-made aircraft could escalate the trade war to impact a wider range of aviation products exported to the US. Eurostat figures show Boeing earned €7.5bn of its revenues from Europe in 2024. Airbus had sales of €16bn to the US last year. Future sales would likely be caught in the crossfire. Ireland is already facing a serious hit to its economy due to potentially high tariffs on exports to the US after the August 1 deadline. After Germany, Ireland could be the most affected economies in the EU. Retaliatory actions by the EU could then be more damaging than increased US tariffs on exports. Brussels says it is still seeking a deal to avoid a tit-for-tat escalation in the trade war but is poised to retaliate if needed. Preparations for retaliation are underway. Some commentators believe it is time for the EU to put its guns on the table in the tariff spat and show strength and determination. But there may be extensive consequences. Brussels-based think tank Bruegel has estimated that Ireland's cumulative real GDP loss, due to the total impact of US tariffs, could be 3% by 2028.
Irish Post
2 hours ago
- Irish Post
Taoiseach opens new Dublin office of American multinational infrastructure firm AECOM
TAOISEACH Micheál Martin has opened the new Dublin office of American multinational infrastructure firm AECOM and welcomed its continued focus on expanding in Ireland. Headquartered in Dallas and with offices around the world, AECOM hopes its new Dublin 4 site will unite its Irish workforce in the capital following a recent recruitment drive in the country. Currently employing more than 750 people at offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast, AECOM plans to hire around 100 new people across all career levels. "We are excited to announce the official opening of our new Dublin office, bringing our workforce in the capital together in one location," said Richard Whitehead, Chief Executive for AECOM's Europe & India region. 'Long and proud history' AECOM says the move will foster knowledge-sharing and collaboration among staff, while also reinforcing its commitment to the Irish market. It will also help support project delivery in Ireland with wide-ranging global expertise from delivering infrastructure and building projects across the world. The new office at One Burlington Plaza is strategically situated in a central location adjacent to the Grand Canal and Wilton Place, close to public transport and active travel amenities. It has been designed on a single-floor plate, with meeting rooms forming a central spine across the floor, and includes numerous breakout rooms, pods and booths to foster collaboration. The external walls are fully glazed, creating a bright and open environment with views of the city and Dublin Mountains. "This carefully designed space will foster collaboration among our multi-disciplinary teams as we continue to deliver key infrastructure and building projects for our clients in Ireland," said Mr Whitehead. "AECOM has a long and proud history in this country, and today is the latest in a long line of notable moments for our company." Meanwhile, John O'Regan, Country Leader for AECOM in Ireland, added: "Today's proceedings underscore AECOM's commitment to increasing our presence in Ireland, further supported by our ongoing recruitment drive, as we look to continue to build on the deep bench of skills and experience of our Ireland team." 'Focus on growth in Ireland' Speaking at Wednesday's opening, the Taoiseach said AECOM would play a 'leading role' as Ireland's growing economy boosts the need for greater infrastructure. "I am delighted to officially open this new facility for AECOM in Dublin," said Mr Martin. "I am particularly heartened by AECOM's continued focus on growth in Ireland and their creation of jobs right across the island in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast. "Infrastructure is critical to the functioning of our economy and our communities. "This Government is committed to delivering a step-change in infrastructure to match our growing economy and population. "I have no doubt that AECOM will continue to play a leading role in infrastructure projects going forward with the development of this new office." AECOM is currently working on some of Ireland's most important projects, including the Dublin Airport Enhancement Programme and the surgical hubs programme for the Health Service Executive. The company partners with both public and private-sector clients to create innovative solutions throughout the project lifecycle from advisory, planning, design and engineering to programme and construction management. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm that had revenue of $16.1bn in the 2024 fiscal year. See More: AECOM, Dublin, Micheál Martin
