Reports related to this article:
Project(s): View 4 related projects in PECWeb
Released May 16, 2023 | GALWAY, IRELAND
en
Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--A US$330 million project in Northern Ireland that could provide a quarter of the U.K.'s gas storage needs is facing significant delays following a High Court action taken by environmental groups.
A legal action taken by Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland and local group, No Gas Caverns, is seeking to overturn the granting of a marine license to the Islandmagee Gas Storage project by former Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister, Edwin Poots. The license granted construction rights for a salt cavern gas storage facility to be located in County Antrim. If successful, the project--which is the largest gas storage project on the island of Ireland--will be referred back to DAERA and face major delays or be completely derailed.
The Islandmagee peninsula is the site of Northern Ireland's main gas-fired power station at Ballylumford, the strategic electrical interconnection point to the U.K. and the terminating point of the existing Scotland-Northern Ireland gas pipeline. The developer, Islandmagee Energy maintains that it is "an ideal location for an energy project of this type." With an estimated construction timeline of more than a decade, the Islandmagee Gas Storage facility will consist of seven underground caverns, capable of storing a total of approximately 500 million cubic meters of gas in Permian salt beds. When completed, it will provide over 25% of the U.K.'s current natural gas storage capacity. Industrial Info is tracking four associated projects. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for the reports.
"Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland is supporting No Gas Caverns and together, we're going to the High Court in Belfast for a judicial review... to approve this fossil fuel development," stated the environmental group. "The caverns dug one mile under the lough would produce a hypersaline solution, poisonous to sea life, and discharge it into a marine protected area near Islandmagee, creating a "dead-zone" where no plants or animals could survive. There are 11 Northern Ireland Priority Species living within 100 meters of the discharge point, which are legally protected. And the poisonous salty water will extend for several kilometers, causing harm to the whole local environment. This is the first case of its kind in Northern Ireland, where the courts will be asked to grapple with the implications of climate change and how developments relate to the Northern Ireland Climate Change Act 2022."
Islandmagee Energy, which is owned by maritime and offshore engineering firm Harland and Wolff (Belfast, Northern Ireland), claimed that during construction 400 direct jobs will be created as well as up to 1,200 indirect jobs. The judge, after four days of presentations by both sides, said that is an "important case" that was both "complex and fact heavy" and has delayed his ruling until a future date.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, gas storage has become an increasingly important issue for Europe as a whole. Russia has been using gas as a weapon against Europe by cutting off supplies over the past 18 months in retaliation for the European Union (EU) imposing economic sanctions against it for its invasion. Underground gas storage (UGS) plays a key role in reinforcing the security of supply and flexibility of the European gas system. The EU-27 gas storage capacity amounts to 1,147 terawatt-hours (TWh) across 18 Member States--roughly 100 billion cubic meters--representing up to a quarter of the EU's total annual gas demand. Going forward the European Commission (EC) has mandated that all Member States reach 90% storage well before winter. For additional information, see September 12, 2022, article - Europe Hits Winter Gas Storage Target Early.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
A legal action taken by Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland and local group, No Gas Caverns, is seeking to overturn the granting of a marine license to the Islandmagee Gas Storage project by former Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister, Edwin Poots. The license granted construction rights for a salt cavern gas storage facility to be located in County Antrim. If successful, the project--which is the largest gas storage project on the island of Ireland--will be referred back to DAERA and face major delays or be completely derailed.
The Islandmagee peninsula is the site of Northern Ireland's main gas-fired power station at Ballylumford, the strategic electrical interconnection point to the U.K. and the terminating point of the existing Scotland-Northern Ireland gas pipeline. The developer, Islandmagee Energy maintains that it is "an ideal location for an energy project of this type." With an estimated construction timeline of more than a decade, the Islandmagee Gas Storage facility will consist of seven underground caverns, capable of storing a total of approximately 500 million cubic meters of gas in Permian salt beds. When completed, it will provide over 25% of the U.K.'s current natural gas storage capacity. Industrial Info is tracking four associated projects. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for the reports.
"Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland is supporting No Gas Caverns and together, we're going to the High Court in Belfast for a judicial review... to approve this fossil fuel development," stated the environmental group. "The caverns dug one mile under the lough would produce a hypersaline solution, poisonous to sea life, and discharge it into a marine protected area near Islandmagee, creating a "dead-zone" where no plants or animals could survive. There are 11 Northern Ireland Priority Species living within 100 meters of the discharge point, which are legally protected. And the poisonous salty water will extend for several kilometers, causing harm to the whole local environment. This is the first case of its kind in Northern Ireland, where the courts will be asked to grapple with the implications of climate change and how developments relate to the Northern Ireland Climate Change Act 2022."
Islandmagee Energy, which is owned by maritime and offshore engineering firm Harland and Wolff (Belfast, Northern Ireland), claimed that during construction 400 direct jobs will be created as well as up to 1,200 indirect jobs. The judge, after four days of presentations by both sides, said that is an "important case" that was both "complex and fact heavy" and has delayed his ruling until a future date.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, gas storage has become an increasingly important issue for Europe as a whole. Russia has been using gas as a weapon against Europe by cutting off supplies over the past 18 months in retaliation for the European Union (EU) imposing economic sanctions against it for its invasion. Underground gas storage (UGS) plays a key role in reinforcing the security of supply and flexibility of the European gas system. The EU-27 gas storage capacity amounts to 1,147 terawatt-hours (TWh) across 18 Member States--roughly 100 billion cubic meters--representing up to a quarter of the EU's total annual gas demand. Going forward the European Commission (EC) has mandated that all Member States reach 90% storage well before winter. For additional information, see September 12, 2022, article - Europe Hits Winter Gas Storage Target Early.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
