Planning permission has been granted for a 600 megawatts power plant in Co. Kerry, which has for many years been a cause for concern for local and national environmental groups. 

An Bord Pleanála granted permission to Shannon LNG for a gas fired electricity generation station.

The terminal, located at a 630-acre site on the Shannon Estuary, will have enough capacity to power 160,000 homes.

Permission was granted under the Planning and Development Act 2000, subject to a number of conditions. An Bord Pleanála had described the plan as “contrary to Government policy” and therefore contrary to the “proper planning and development” of the region. However, the High Court found that this was based on policy statements rather than formal State undertakings.

The terminal will be developed by Shannon LNG, a subsidiary of New Fortress Energy, and the electricity output of the plant will be available to the national grid as a back-up in instances when renewable sources cannot generate enough power.

LNG stands for liquefied natural gas, and involves cooling gas to extremely low temperatures (-160°C).

Proponents of LNG say that it is necessary as part of the transition to a fully green future, while opponents argue that it is damaging to the environment.

Groups had called for the Government to resist proposals to construct LGN terminals, saying that the atmosphere is damaged from gas leakage during production and the burning of gas for energy. They argued that an LNG plant would prolong Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels, and that the industry is trying to push gas as a ‘clean fossil fuel’.

Keep Ireland LNG Free, prominent anti-LNG campaigners, say methane is leaked throughout the supply chain and has almost 90 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide over 20 years.

Another group, Not Here Not Anywhere, said leaks and accidents in other countries have the destructive impact of fracking and LNG on the environment and the climate.

The Labour Party’s climate spokesperson Ciarán Ahern TD said that the approval of planning permission for the plant “completely flies in the face of our climate goals” and that the “doors are being opened” for more fracked gas to be imported. Deputy Ahern said that the proposed LNG plant cannot be allowed to proceed, and called for the government to intervene.

Minister Niall Collins (FF) welcomed the planning decision, saying that electricity produced at the plant will only be used as a back up to renewable energy.  He said that energy security needs to be a priority, and that the facility will safeguard Ireland against any interruption to its national energy supply.

MEP for Ireland South Billy Kelleher, also of Fianna Fáil, said today’s decision was a “victory for common sense over ideological dogma”.