Offaly community groups benefit from ESB fund

SIX community groups in the west Offaly area have been presented with funding as a result of a scheme set up following the installation of temporary electricity generation on the site of Shannonbridge power station.

The ESB has installed Temporary Emergency Generation (TEG) at the former West Offaly Power site.

The Shannonbridge TEG project, developed on behalf of the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU), the Department of Energy, Climate and Communications and EirGrid, aims to enhance the security of Ireland’s electricity supply.

The Shannonbridge facility has gas turbine generators fuelled by diesel distillate whereas its predecessor was a peat-fired station.

A Community Benefit Fund was established as part of the project with the aim of encouraging stronger interaction and engagement with communities living close to the site. Yesterday, Wednesday (February 19), Sinead Dooley, head of public engagement at EirGrid, and Fionn Griffin, ESB’s emergency generation manager, presented six local community groups with funding at the Community Hall in Shannonbridge.

From left, Nuala Moloney, Manager, ESB Community Relations & Sustainable Rivers, Fionn Griffin, ESB Emergency Generation Manager, George Quinn, Raghra (Shannonbridge) Christmas Lights, Sinead Dooley, Head of Public Engagement, EirGrid, Paul Carry, Raghra (Shannonbridge) Christmas Lights

The local community groups which have benefited from this fund include Shannonbridge Meals on Wheels, Raghra Christmas Lights, St Kieran’s Park Residential Group, Banagher Development Group, St Ciaran’s Development Group Clonfanlough and the Belmont Men’s Shed.

The work undertaken by these community groups benefits Shannonbridge and surrounding areas, with a number of the supported projects developing local sustainability and biodiversity initiatives.

Ms Dooley said: “Through the cooperation and support of communities in Shannonbridge, we, along with our partners are working to deliver this Temporary Emergency Generation to ensure a reliable supply of electricity into the future. It is fantastic to see funding covering an array of positive initiatives in the area, transforming living spaces, enabling more sustainable community amenities, and overall enhancing the well-being of people in the area on an annual basis through this fund.”

Mr Griffin commented: “ESB has a longstanding history in Shannonbridge and surrounding areas, dating back to the 1960s. We are delighted, along with EirGrid, to continue to support local and worthwhile initiatives in the Shannonbridge community. This award of funding to local initiatives is consistent with our values and obligation to act as a good neighbour and partner during the delivery and operation of major infrastructure projects. We, at ESB, would like to thank the Shannonbridge community for their continued support.”

From left, Nuala Moloney, Manager, ESB Community Relations & Sustainable Rivers, Fionn Griffin, ESB Emergency Generation Manager, Leanne Quinn, St Ciaran’s Development, Clonfanlough, Sinead Dooley, Head of Public Engagement, EirGrid

This time last year Shannonbridge Tidy Towns Committee, Shannonbridge Meals on Wheels, Raghra Christmas Lights, Shannonbridge Community Hall and the Belmont Men’s Shed were beneficiaries of the fund.

The Community Benefit Fund will be administered on an annual basis over the lifetime of the Temporary Emergency Generation project in Shannonbridge.

The Shannonbridge emergency power plant (pictured below) has eight gas turbine units which use distillate diesel oil as fuel.

It is designed to back up the grid in emergencies and run for up to 500 hours each year. Its maximum output is about 260MW.

The former Shannonbridge power station was a peat-fired facility but was closed when permission was refused for the use biomass fuel and Bord na Mona decided to cease milled peat production. It was closed in December, 2020.