Ireland Approves Controversial Gas-Fired Plant

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Planning permission for a major natural gas-fired power plant and associated battery energy storage system (BESS) on Ireland's west coast has been granted by the state planning board An Bord Pleanala (ABP).

The controversial project in County Kerry, which comprises a 600-megawatt (MW) gas-fired plant and 120-MW BESS, has spent almost 20 years in planning limbo and was refused permission in late 2023 by ABP. The original plans had also included an offshore floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) terminal in the Shannon estuary, which would have been Ireland's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, but this was not included in the latest application. The amended project has now been granted permission following a decision by the High Court last year in favor of New York-based energy infrastructure company New Fortress Energy (NASDAQ:NFE) (New York, New York), which agreed that ABP "did not have appropriate grounds for the denial of our permit".

Following a new Inspector's Report last September, the ABP has now ruled in favor of the project, albeit with a raft of conditions. It stated: "The proposed development is aligned with local and regional planning policy and land use objectives. There are a range of energy and climate policy documents and statements which are relevant to the proposed development, and I have noted that the proposed development is consistent with the Climate Action Plan 2024 in facilitating the security of electricity generation/ supply. The proposed 600-MW power generation plant is supported by national energy and climate policy which identifies a requirement for additional conventional generation capacity as a priority. This is seen in the light of the wider transition to a renewables-based generation system, notwithstanding the fossil-fuel powered nature of the plant."

The decision was welcomed by a number of Irish political figures and condemned by environmental groups. "This is simply a victory for common sense over ideological dogma," Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher told the media. "Today's decision is an important milestone in ensuring Irish energy security into the future. Too much time has been wasted over the last 16 years to get to this point. If planning permission had been granted at the start; the facility would have been operational over a year ago. Too much ideological purity has led us to where we are: vulnerable to external energy shocks. We need to move to a renewable future but that requires a transition. LNG is part of that transition. We can ensure that the facility is future-proofed for the use of green hydrogen from our offshore wind energy sector."

The project will see the construction take place on a 630-acre site between Tarbert and Ballylongford. It will comprise three turbine halls, each housing a 200-MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT). Planning for the offshore floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) terminal in the Shannon estuary is being sought separately.

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