The Green Party Leader has confirmed that the ESB’s power station at Moneypoint in West Clare continued as a coal burning station but scheduled to close in 2025.
The confirmation from Transport Minister Eamon Ryan comes despite Ireland’s energy shortage and concerns that we would end up importing coal-generated electricity thereafter.
Minister Ryan was responding to questions raised in the Dáil by Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara.
Minister Ryan’s comments follow a report responding to the energy crisis by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities which stated in late September that older power stations, which were due to be decommissioned, are kept open to boost supply.
EirGrid has also warned that Ireland won’t have enough electricity to meet demand for the next five winters if action isn’t taken.
In the Dáil today, Minister Ryan said: “It’s likely that Moneypoint will continue to 2025 to provide back-up power when the wind isn’t blowing or when other gas-fired generators are not available for a variety of different reasons. I don’t envisage it going beyond 2025 but I will be pushing my department, the energy regulator and others to make sure that we do get the other flexible open-cycle back-up capacity that will give us balancing power.”
