Ireland: Labour Party Spring Welcomes Shannon LNG Bord Pleanala Approval

Labour Party TD Arthur J. Spring welcomed the announcement that Shannon LNG has received a successful judgement from An Bord Pleanala that will permit the building of a 500 MW combined heat and power plant in North Kerry. Pending a successful outcome of the High Court Judicial hearing in relation to the LNG Terminal, Shannon LNG intends to build and operate the natural gas fired combined heat and power plan and enter the energy supply market, while also using energy from the plant to operate the LNG Terminal.

Deputy Spring states, “The fact that Shannon LNG has received a successful resolution to the planning application for a combined heat and power plant will strengthen their hand when it comes to securing a firm financial commitment from HESS OIL pending a favourable decision from the high court judicial decision concerning the LNG Terminal. Both projects are intrinsically linked and obviously without a Gas Terminal, the Gas fired generating plant will not happen. There is a lot to gain and a lot to loose for the North Kerry area depending on the high court judicial outcome, but a favourable outcome will lead to an additional 200 jobs during the construction stage of the plant,and 35 full time jobs once the plant is in operation, on top of the jobs to be created in building and running the original project, the gas terminal.”

Once an Bord Pleanala agreed earlier in 2013 that the natural gas fired combined heat and power plant constituted a Strategic Infrastructure Development under planning regulations, the company were entitled to seek full planning permission from the planning authorities.

The Ballylongford and Tarbert Development Associations have worked tirelessly to demonstrate their support for the development of the proposed Shannon LNG project and having put forward their own submission to an Bord Pleanala, the favourable decision will be welcomed in the area. Energy Minister, Labour Party TD Pat Rabbitte has been in communication with the development associations this week to reiterate his support for the project.

Planning has been granted subject to conditions, all of which the development associations believe Shannon LNG will have no issue complying with following a favourable high court judicial decision in relation to the original Shannon LNG Project consisting of the construction of a Liquified Natural Gas Terminal in “Land Bank”.