*Photograph: Páraic McMahon
AN BORD Pleanála has granted the green light to the ESB to convert the 900MW Moneypoint coal-burning power station in West Clare to Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO).
In its decision, the appeals board concluded that the proposed development, due to its strict operational parameters as a generator of last resort over a defined period up to the end of 2029, the proposal would be in accordance with national, regional and local planning policies.
The appeals board ruled that the proposed development “will provide a temporary conventionally powered back-up generator to the national electricity grid making the most sustainable use of existing infrastructure and equipment”.
It stated that the converted HFO station “will provide significant backup to the national electricity grid when predicted/projected demands outstrips generation”.
The board did acknowledge that while the operation of the development would generate greenhouse gas emissions, the need for additional conventional generation is recognised as a national priority in the Government Policy Statement on Security of Electricity Supply.
The board points out that the operational timeframe of the converted HFO Moneypoint will stop at the end of 2029 “thereby ceasing emissions from this site, while the proposed development will result in the cessation of the use of coal as a fuel at the Moneypoint generation station, and the use of HFO will result in fewer emissions arising than coal operations”.
The appeals board has given the scheme the go-ahead after consultants for the ESB, Mott McDonald warned that if Moneypoint doesn’t convert to HFO to produce electricity, “it is possible that extended power outages could occur to cover the Winter peaks in the period 2024 to 2029″.
The stark warning was contained in the ESB Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) Moneypoint ‘Security of Supply’ application lodged with An Bord Pleanála seeking to convert Moneypoint from a coal-burning power generating station to one powered by HFO for the years 2024 to 2029.
Mott MacDonald told the board that if the proposed conversion does not occur “this would have a significant adverse effect, in terms of energy requirements and supply on the island of Ireland”.
The planning application includes the construction of two HFO tanks each with a capacity of 25,000 tonnes and the construction phase will result in the creation of 90 to 100 jobs.
The EIS shows that a Moneypoint conversion to gas was ruled out after the conversion of the three Moneypoint coal units to gas would take five years to design and build.
The EIS states that the costs associated with a conversion to gas included an estimated €150 million on a 21km gas pipeline and an additional €90 million to convert the three coal units to gas. The conversion to gas “has the potential to much greater and more complex environmental impacts than the planned HFO conversion.
Figures provided in the extensive documentation lodged with An Bord Pleanála showed that Moneypoint will continue to be a significant contributor from within the energy sector to greenhouse gas emissions after the conversion from coal to HFO.
In the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)’s chapter on the impact on climate lodged with the application, it conceded that “emissions from the operation of the proposed development are expected to be major adverse and significant”.
The EIS stated that the proposed development “has a 12% lower emissions intensity than the existing coal-fired plant and presents lower emissions through transition to HFO than a ‘do nothing’ scenario with continued use of coal”.
On the proposed development’s impact on climate, the EIS stated that the proposed development annual emissions “would be approximately 39-46 per cent of total projected Irish energy sector annual emissions if operating in 2030”.
The EIS stated that a HFO operated Moneypoint is estimated to account for 4-5% of projected national emissions across all sectors in 2030, which is the closest projection available.
The EIS also stated that the HFO-operated Moneypoint is to operate “with limited run hours from late 2024 until the end of 2029”.
The 489-page EIS compiled by consultants Mott MacDonald stated that the proposed development “will act as an out of market generator of last resort and will operate only when required by EirGrid for security of supply reasons”.
Mott MacDonald stated that the project “aims to ensure that the power station remains viable as an energy generation node until 2029”.
The EIS states that currently Moneypoint “is a strategically important part of the energy generation network” and meets on average ca.12-15% of national demand.
