Councillors to lodge objections against proposed massive power station in South-East Galway

COUNCILLORS from North Tipperary and East Galway are going to lodge an objection with An Bord Pleanála against a proposed Power Plant which will be constructed near Portumna.
Cllrs Michael O'Meara and Seamus Morris told last week's Nenagh Municipal District monthly meeting that they attended a public meeting in Portumna Town Hall about the issue on Wednesday June 26th. “The Town Hall was packed,” said Cllr O'Meara. “There could have been 300 to 400 people there. This plant is going to be one of the biggest of its kind in Europe and it could badly affect the people of North Tipperary as well as south-east Galway.”
Cllr Morris agreed. “It will be using a serious amount of water which will have to be treated afterwards. If anything should go wrong with that process then it could have a very negative effect on the rivers feeding into Lough Derg. We should remember that the extraction point for the water being supplied to Nenagh town is at Skehanagh on Lough Derg.
“The company behind the plant has bought up great tracts of land in the area over the last two years. People had thought it was going to be a solar farm and now, suddenly, they are hit with this. Over the last number of years the government has closed down power stations in the name of decarbonisation. Now we are left with an energy shortfall, therefore we are building stations like this.

“There wasn't proper planning and we shut down the stations without thinking of the consequences. The windmills on Derrybrien were shut down over a Mickey Mouse issue. The power line from Moneypoint is going through this part of Galway. The output of the plant will be the same as Moneypoint.”
It was pointed out that the planning application was lodged shortly after the Local Elections. It was also pointed out that the end date for lodging objections with An Bord Pleanála is very soon, middle of July.
The Power Station will be located about three miles from Portumna, just off the N65 to Killimor and it will be a proposed gas burning facility in the townlands of Heathlawn, Gortlusky, Cooldorragha, Ballynaheskeragh and Sheeaunrush.
The Portumna Town Hall meeting was told that the facility could cover an area of about a hundred acres. The meeting was also told that many people living in the area are concerned about the facility's health implications; as well as its visual impact, its negative effect on the environment, and the fact that it will devalue the surrounding land.
The power station will include three 45 metre high chimney stacks (which will each have the equivalent height of five two-storey houses); three diesel storage tanks (which will have a capacity of 7,333 cubic metres per tank); and 224 modular single storey lithium-ion battery enclosures (each battery enclosures will have the equivalent size to a shipping container).
There is a possibility, the meeting was told, that this part of East Galway could eventually have three power stations, including the current power station in Tynagh (this 400MW gas-fired station is situated on the old Tynagh mine site); the proposed Heathlawn / Gortlusky station; and another possible station in Tynagh. Three power stations in the one area will have a huge impact on this very rural region. Some are worried about respiratory problems being caused by the burning of gas.
It was also claimed during the meeting that the national grid is so short of power that this new gas burning facility in Heathlawn/Gortlusky will be in constant use, and won't be the reserve, back-up power facility, in irregular use, which is being claimed.
“This is a massive issue for North Tipperary as well as East Galway,” said Cllr O'Meara. “It is mind-boggling how big this station is going to be. Each chimney stack will be higher than Croke Park. The output will be bigger than Moneypoint.
“Historically and culturally there is a strong link between East Galway and North Tipperary. There's also a strong geographical link and if anything should go wrong in the station then it will badly impact on our environment in North Tipperary.”
Cllr O'Meara pointed out that he, the councillors of North Tipperary and the councillors of East Galway are currently putting together a carefully considered objection to the proposal.
“There will be 19,000 tonnes of gas stored on the site, as well as a huge amount of diesel," he continued. "The worry is that if a fire breaks out will the local fire brigades have difficulty containing it and putting it out? I would also have concerns about the effect of the emissions from the chimneys on people's respiratory systems. Will a lot of people be put off settling in and living in the area? I am told that it will be a 400 KV line in the plant and all the electricity will be going to service the Data Centres on the east coast. I would also be concerned about a potentially negative effect on the water quality of the local rivers and Lough Derg.”