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Ennis mill could be used for electricity

This article is from page 24 of the 2011-01-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 24 JPG

THE development of a hydro-power facility at the Old Mill in Ennis could be used to supply the electricity requirements of recreational facilities and of the wider community in Ennis, a meeting has heard.

Last week local councillors urged Ennis Town Council to consider renewable forms of energy to supply power to the Ennis Leisure Complex and the Lees Road Sports and Amenity Park.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) told the January meeting of Ennis Town Council that the “significant infrastructure” in place at the Old Mill could be utilised to generate power, of which the nearby Ennis Leisure Complex “would be a willing customer”.

He said the mill had been identified as a potential source of hydropower in a report carried out by the Limerick Clare Energy Agency.

According to the report, ‘Micro Hydro Electricity Potential in County Clare’, the mill has the potential to produce 259 megawatts per hour.

The report estimates that it would cost € 216,000 to develop suitable turbine facilities at the mill.

The report states, “Because of the central location of the proposed site, and the high volume of traffic that passes through daily, a hydro-power development at this location would give a very strong indication of support for the micro-hydro industry in County Clare. The historical location of the mill reflects the excellent hydro resource at this point, downstream of the confluence of the Claureen and Fergus rivers. The theoretical average power of the river is 240kW.”

Pat Stephens of the Limerick Clare Energy Agency explained, “We looked at six commercial and six domestic micro-hydro projects. There are already one or two projects out there in the county; The Falls Hotel is one. What we looked at, essentially, was if you were to try and re-establish the one in Ennis, what would it cost and how much energy would it generate. There’s potential there for it.”

Cllr Meaney also urged the council to consider the development of a 500-megawatt wind turbine at Lees Road. Noting that the acceptance of such a project would depend on the outcome of a cost-benefit analysis, Cllr Meaney said a wind turbine would meet energy needs at Lees Road and also serve to “landmark the site”.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) told the meeting that 60 per cent of the hot water required at Ennis Leisure Complex could be met by the installation of solar panels in the complex’s south-facing roof. He said the remaining demand could be met through the use of woodchip burners.

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