Moneypoint power station

Moneypoint power station
Map
Country
  • Republic of Ireland
Location
Coordinates52°36′27″N 9°25′27″W / 52.6075°N 9.4243°W / 52.6075; -9.4243
StatusOperational
Commission date
  • September 1985
Owner(s)
Thermal power station
Primary fuel
Secondary fuel
Turbine technology
Site area
  • 170 ha (420 acres)
Chimneys
  • 2
Power generation
Units operational3 × 305 MW
Make and modelFoster Wheeler (3)
Nameplate capacity
  • 915 MW
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

Moneypoint Power Station as seen from County Kerry

Moneypoint power station (Irish: Stáisiún cumhachta Ghob na Muine)[1] is Ireland's largest electricity generation station (with an output 915 MW)[2] and its only coal-fired power station.[3] Commissioned between 1985 and 1987,[4] it is located on the River Shannon, near Kilrush in County Clare, and was constructed at a cost of more than £700m.[5] The station operates largely on coal, making it both unique in the context of Irish electricity production and for a while was the country's single largest emitter of greenhouse gases.[6] At its peak, it was capable of meeting around 25% of customer demand across the country.[7] Coal's share of the electricity fuel mix in Ireland in 2022 was 11.6%.[8]

In 2021, its owner, the ESB Group, announced the facility would be closed and replaced with a green-energy hub.[9]

It has two Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) storage tanks with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes which can be used as a back-up fuel if required.[4]

Three Brown Boveri four-cylinder, single-shaft impulse reaction turbines are directly connected to three generators which generate the power. The steam is generated by three Foster Wheeler two-pass boilers, which convert water into high pressure steam by combustion of the coal.

The power station chimneys, at 218m, are the tallest free-standing structures in Ireland.

  1. ^ Creatphlean Comhtháite Straitéiseach d'Inbhear na Sionainne (Strategic Integrated Framework Plan for the Shannon Estuary) (PDF) (Report) (in Irish). Limerick City and County Council, Clare County Council, Kerry County Council, Shannon Development, Shannon Foynes Port Company. p. 7. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  2. ^ "ESB History Timeline". esb.ie. Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  3. ^ McMahon, Páraic (24 October 2022). "Electricity generation from coal at Moneypoint up this year". clareecho.ie. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b "ESB informational document" (PDF). esb.ie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Moneypoint to power on despite protests". thetimes.co.uk. The Times (UK). 15 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Business: New-tech solution 'could clean up' Moneypoint". Irish Independent. 12 December 2006.
  7. ^ "ESB Announces Green Atlantic at Moneypoint". esb.ie (Press release). 9 April 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2024. At its peak, Moneypoint produced 25% of Ireland's electricity requirements
  8. ^ "ENERGY IN IRELAND 2023 Report" (PDF). seai.ie. p. 146.
  9. ^ "Ireland to replace last coal plant with huge green hub and floating wind farm". 12 April 2021.