Latest news with #ESB
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Ireland Shuts Last Coal Plant as Europe's Phaseout Accelerates
Ireland became the latest European country to put an end to coal-fired power generation, with Spain and Italy set to follow soon. The last coal plant in the country has officially closed in County Clare, after more than 40 years in operation, state utility ESB said in a statement. Also this year, Italy will shut two major stations, and Spain's remaining ones will be decommissioned or transformed into gas plants, according to nonprofit Beyond Fossil Fuels.
Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Moneypoint ends coal generation early as ESB shifts focus to renewable energy hub
Coal generation has ended earlier than expected at Moneypoint Power Station in Co Clare. After 40 years, the ESB, which operates the station, announced it has transformed the site into a renewable energy hub as coal generation came to a close. Moneypoint began its transition away from fossil fuels in 2017 with the construction of a 17MW onshore wind farm. In 2021, ESB announced 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 handle increasing amounts of renewable electricity. CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB In 2023, ESB and EirGrid signed an agreement to keep Moneypoint available (to generate electricity using oil) from 2025 to 2029. The station will only be required to operate when the electricity system is short on capacity, and only under instruction from EirGrid. Oil generation is less carbon-intensive than coal, and the station is expected to run significantly less often during these four years. On Friday, Minister of State at the department of agriculture, Timmy Dooley, visited the site alongside ESB Chief Executive Paddy Hayes. Speaking about the move, Mr Dooley said: "The early end of coal generation at Moneypoint represents a significant milestone for ESB and is another important step in Ireland's energy transformation. "It is the people of the Mid-West that have made this possible and I am delighted that the site will continue to play a critical role in securing Ireland's electricity supply for a number of years to come." Mr Hayes said: "Moneypoint, the teams working here, and the communities across West Clare have been at the heart of powering Ireland's electricity system for the best part of 40 years so far – and I would like to thank all those who have played a part in that." Ireland's 2030 target under the EU's Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 42% by the end of the decade. Climate Minister Darragh O'Brien said: "Today, the next step of the station's journey is beginning as the shift from coal to oil takes place. This is not just a significant move for ESB but also for the country as a whole as Ireland powers forward to deliver the clean energy transition underpinned by a secure electricity system.
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Moneypoint power station ends coal use ahead of schedule
The ESB has ended coal use at its Moneypoint electricity generation station in the Shannon estuary in Co Clare and is switching to oil use for the coming years. Generating power with heavy fuel oil is less carbon intensive than coal, while the station is expected to be used less in the future. The exit from coal use is six months earlier than anticipated at the facility, which has been in operation since the mid-1980s. The move is part of the continuing transformation of Moneypoint into a renewable energy hub. The power plant has been burning coal for 40 years but began its transition away from fossil fuel generation on site in 2017 with the construction of a 17 megawatt onshore wind farm. READ MORE In 2021, ESB announced its Green Atlantic @ Moneypoint project, an ambitious plan to transform the site into one of the country's largest renewable energy hubs, using its deepwater port and existing infrastructure. [ Republic may need to consider nuclear power to meet energy demand and climate goals, says EirGrid chairman Opens in new window ] This is planned to coincide with scale-up of offshore wind projects off the west coast in coming years. Phase one of this plan was completed in 2022 with the installation of a €50 million synchronous compensator to facilitate more efficient accommodation of renewables on the national grid. Moneypoint, which at one stage supplied up to 25 per cent of Ireland's electricity needs, will continue to provide security of supply for Ireland's electricity system as a backup facility; a power plant of last resort for EirGrid. The ESB intends to end oil use in 2029.
RTÉ News
15 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
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.
Dublin Live
19 hours ago
- Climate
- Dublin Live
Dublin power cut RECAP: Hundreds without electricity after two areas hit by major outage
Hundreds have been left without electricity following a massive power outage affecting two Dublin areas. Nearly 450 customers have been impacted by a power cut in the Garville Avenue area of Rathgar. The outage began at 2:38pm this afternoon. The power cut seems to be ongoing despite the estimated restore time on the ESB website being 4.45pm. Separately, a total of 163 customers in Loughlinstown have been hit by an electricity outage since 4.22pm. The estimated restore time is 6.15pm. ESB has issued an apology for the inconvenience. We will bring you all the latest updates on our live blog below. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage .
