Moneypoint Power Station to end coal burning after 40 years
After 40 years of operation ESB is to cease burning coal at its Moneypoint Power Station in Co Clare from today.
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
Sunday World
23 minutes ago
- Sunday World
Revealed: The Cork shop which sold this week's €250m Euromillions ticket
The Rebel County retail store made history this week after they sold Tuesday's whopping €250 million EuroMillions jackpot ticketIreland's newest multimillionaire has made contact with the Prize Claims teamThis person is the 18th winner in Ireland of the EuroMillions jackpot since it started in 2004 The winning EuroMillions ticket was bought in Cork. Photo: Stock image The record-breaking winning Euromillions ticket was sold at Clifford's Centra, Shandon Street in Cork city, it has been confirmed this morning. The shop, at 91 Shandon Street, is located on the northside of the city. The Rebel County retail store made history this week after they sold Tuesday's whopping €250 million EuroMillions jackpot ticket. And – although there has been no sight of the winner yet – the National Lottery also confirmed yesterday the Ireland's newest multimillionaire has made contact with the Prize Claims team. The contact came after days of speculation as to who the winner of the life-changing amount is. The winning EuroMillions ticket was bought in Cork. Photo: Stock image News in 90 Seconds - June 20th This person is the 18th winner in Ireland of the EuroMillions jackpot since it started in 2004. Speaking yesterday after the winner made contact, spokesperson for the National Lottery Emma Monaghan said; "We are absolutely thrilled to have heard from our EuroMillions winner. "At this point, our priority is to give them the necessary time and space to make arrangements and let this life-changing news sink in.' The record-breaking win surpasses the €175m record for the largest cheque ever presented to an Irish player, in February 2019. The winning numbers this week were: 13, 22, 23, 44 ,49 and the Lucky Stars were 3 and 5. The National Lottery has urged the winner 'to stay calm, get independent legal and financial advice and contact us as soon as they can'. Dolores McNamara from Limerick was Ireland's first EuroMillions winner, scooping over €115m in July 2005. The jackpot is capped once it reaches €250m. In total, over 92,200 players in Ireland won prizes in the EuroMillions and Plus games on Tuesday night.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
'Lucky streak' - Cork city shop celebrates EuroMillions jackpot sale
The owner of the shop that sold the winning EuroMillions ticket in Cork is celebrating a "lucky streak", having previously sold a €100,000 ticket on New Year's Eve. The winning €250 million ticket was sold at Clifford's Centra on Shandon Street in Cork city. It marks the biggest ever jackpot win in Ireland and the 18th Irish winner of the EuroMillions jackpot. Shop owner Ted Clifford said the National Lottery phoned him yesterday to tell him the news, which he described as "fantastic". The shop will receive €25,000 in prize money, which he said will go towards "a big celebration". It is "definitely going to be the hottest day of the year on Shandon Street", he said. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Clifford said the shop is having a "lucky streak". "This all kicked off on New Year's Eve when we sold a €100,000 ticket to a local person and I think this is when our luck started," he said. Mr Clifford, who is a third generation owner of the store, said he does not know who bought the winning ticket but he sends them his "warmest congratulations". The holder of the winning ticket in Tuesday night's €250m EuroMillions lottery has already made contact with the National Lottery's prize claims team, the company confirmed. The winning numbers are 13, 22, 23, 44, 49 - Lucky Stars 3 and 5.
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
The moment the shop that sold the winning €250m EuroMillions ticket found out
A staff member at the store that sold the winning €250 million EuroMillions ticket joked that he thought it was a wind-up when the phone call came through from the National Lottery this week. Having drip-fed information about the momentous win since Tuesday night's draw - first that it was won in Munster, then that it was sold in Cork - on Friday morning, the National Lottery revealed that the ticket was sold at Clifford's Centra on Shandon Street in Cork city centre in the days before the draw. The National Lottery released a brief snippet of the phone call with an as yet unidentified staff member confirming the news on social media on Friday morning. Having been told the news, the staff member replied: 'Ah this is a wind up, is it? You're joking me.' Asked how it felt to be the store that sold the ticket for the biggest jackpot win in EuroMillions history, he replied: 'Ah, that's great news. I'm just gutted it wasn't me that bought it!' The historic win marks a first for the Rebel County and is the largest prize ever claimed in Ireland since EuroMillions launched here in 2004. It is also the 18th time an Irish player has landed the jackpot. After days of speculation and excitement, the National Lottery confirmed that the lucky winner has made contact with their Prize Claims team, officially ending the guessing game. Spokesperson Emma Monaghan said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have heard from our EuroMillions winner. At this point, our priority is to give them the necessary time and space to make arrangements and let this life-changing news sink in." A photocall will take place at Clifford's Centra at 11am Friday morning - follow live updates here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
