West Offaly Power Station
CountryRepublic of Ireland
LocationShannonbridge
Coordinates53°16′22″N 08°02′20″W / 53.27278°N 8.03889°W / 53.27278; -8.03889
StatusClosed 2020
Commission dateJuly 2004
Owner(s)Electricity Supply Board
Thermal power station
Primary fuelPeat
Power generation
Nameplate capacity150 MWe
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons

The West Offaly Power Station was a large peat-fired 135 MW power station in Shannonbridge from 2005 to 2020, in the Republic of Ireland. The station was capable of generating up to 153 MWe of power, thus ranking as the largest peat-fired power station in the country.[1][2] The power station was constructed adjacent to (and as a replacement of) the ageing 125 MWe peat Shannonbridge Power Station, which operated in stages from 1965 to 2003, and demolished in 2005.[3]

The Station directly employed approx forty full-time with additional contract and part-time staff. The Station further supports employment in the Semi State Bord na Móna which supplied West Offaly with milled peat from the surrounding bogs.

As part of its social employment mandate, the station received Public service obligation support until 2019. On 11 December 2020 the station ceased all power production after permission to continue burning peat was refused.[4] Although local groups and leaders hoped that the plant would be converted to alternative use, the plant's owner has announced that the plant will be demolished and the site remediated to comply with the power plant licenses.[5]

A hybrid 97 MW / 170 MWh synchronous condenser / battery storage power station grid stability plant started construction at the site in 2022, expected to complete by 2024 a cost of €130 million.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ ESB Power Generation (PDF), retrieved 2 May 2010
  2. ↑ Peat power in Ireland (PDF), retrieved 2 May 2010
  3. ↑ "Shannonbridge". ESB Archives. 1 March 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022.
  4. ↑ O'Sullivan, Kathleen (11 December 2020). "West Offaly Power Station closure: 'A final plea to ensure reason and sense prevails'". Agriland. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  5. ↑ staff (24 January 2020). "ESB to demolish West Offaly Power Station". Offaly Independent. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  6. ↑ Murray, Cameron (7 September 2022). "Construction starts on 170MWh hybrid energy storage project in Ireland". Energy Storage News.
  7. ↑ "Lanesboro and Shannonbridge power stations could have 'central role' during energy emergencies - Minister Eamon Ryan". www.longfordleader.ie.


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