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Hopes have been voiced that there would be no
further delays in going ahead with a €500 million natural
gas-fired energy project in Tarbert, Co Kerry.
Members of Kerry County Council unanimously
endorsed plans by Endesa
Ireland Ltd to build an electricity generating plant
on the site of an old ESB oil-fired plant on Tarbert Island.
Shannon Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
has already been given the green light to lay a 26km pipeline
which will connect the Endesa plant to the national gas grid,
west of Foynes, Co Limerick. The pipeline will be bringing
natural gas to Co Kerry for the first time.
Endesa, the leading Spanish electricity company,
has applied to An Bord Pleanála for planning permission for
the power plant and a decision is expected in late June. Under
the Planning Act, Kerry County Council has a consultative
role and is required to make a submission to An Bord Pleanála
on the effects of the development on the environment and development
of the area.
In a detailed report to the recent meeting,
council director of planning Michael McMahon said the 450MW
plant would be erected in two phases and would involve the
replacement of the ESB generating station which had been on
the site since 1968.
Work on the first phase was due to start towards
the end of 2012 and on the second phase in January 2016, he
added. Upwards of 300 construction workers would be employed
in the first phase and a maximum of 500 during phase two.
Mr McMahon said Endesa would be replacing the
existing plant with more efficient, environmentally-friendly
generators. The council was satisfied that emissions from
the plant would not cause pollution, he pointed out.
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