This article is from page 4 of the 2008-04-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
AN investment of €lb in Money- point power station announced by the ESB is expected to significantly reduce the carbon dioxide being real- ised into the west Clare atmosphere, as well as proving a vote of confi- dence in the station’s future.
Plans for the local power station for 2025 will see the electricity supply board attempt to build a so-called “clean coal” generating plant.
Clean coal is basically coal that has had the carbon dioxide extracted from it, thus preventing it from pol-
luting the atmosphere.
The ESB are facing one major diffi- culty in the west Clare element of its national €22 billion, 12-year invest- ment programme.
Commencement of the work on the clean coal-fired generating plant in Moneypoint is dependent on one major factor – that is, one has yet to be invented.
The ESB admit that no-one has yet arrived at a workable system of do- ing this, or of storing gas instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.
The ESB 1s confident, however, that such a solution will be found as huge
resources are being invested on re- search and development.
Meanwhile, Munister for State, Tony Killeen (FF) received confir- mation from the ESB that it is not going to adopt a proposal to build a gas-fired generating plant.
“The ESB’s announcement has consequences not only for environ- ment but for the local economy,” he said.
“For almost 30 years, Moneypoint has acted as one of the largest em- ployers in west Clare and has played a major part in the development of vibrant communities in the area.
“This announcement by the ESB that it is planning to invest in a clean coal-fired generating plant by 2025 will ensure the station’s viability.”
The new plant, if and when it goes ahead, 1s likely to produce 700 mega- watts of electricity, making it the big- gest producer in the State in today’s etsy
According to industry calcula- tions, that is enough power to supply 700,000 average households.
Work started on the Moneypoint project back in 1979. The station each year consumes two million Kevebate ey mrerey- 0B