Bord na Móna turns on the lights with new landfill gas power plant
Bord na Móna today launched a new landfill-gas power plant that will generate enough electricity to power 8,500 homes.
Minister for the Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte TD, today officially launched the innovative new Landfill Gas Power Plant at Drehid, Co Kildare.
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The resource recovery project will use landfill gas from the Drehid site, using a household waste byproduct to produce 5.6 megawatts of renewable power – enough to power 8,500 homes.
John Curley, Managing Director, Clarke Energy, Gabriel D’Arcy, CEO, Bord naMóna, Pat Rabbitte TD Minister for Communication, Energy and Natural Resources and John Horgan, Chairman, Bord naMóna pictured at the launch of the Bord naMóna Landfill Gas Utilisation Project in Drehid
Co. Kildare. Picture: Andres Poveda
Speaking at the launch, Minister Rabbitte said “Today marks a significant step in the delivery of sustainable power sources in Ireland. I am delighted that a company like Bord na Móna, demonstrating its prowess in resource recovery, is producing homegrown, renewable energy supplies for the Irish grid.”
The new ‘waste to energy’ project is an expansion of Bord na Móna’s portfolio of power generation assets and will turn waste in to energy at the state of the art landfill site in Drehid, Co. Kildare. A leading benefit of using landfill gas for the provision of electricity is its ability to deliver stable, continuous supplies of electricity to the power grid. The plant burns 6,000 tonnes of methane and converts it to carbon dioxide and water, which, if left untreated would have a greenhouse gas impact of 126,000 tonnes of CO2. It also displaces the equivalent amount of carbon sourced power on the grid as it is carbon neutral
Gabriel D’Arcy, CEO Bord na Móna, said “Bord na Móna has invested heavily in new and innovative ways of capitalising on all our resources to create further value and uses. Waste recovery fits neatly with our ‘Contract with Nature’ vision that looks to develop business operations that are sustainable environmentally and economically. This gas power plant is the result of a transformation in the way we look at spent materials, turning household waste into green energy that in turn helps create jobs and a sustainable electricity supply.”
John Horgan, Chairman, Bord na Móna said “Our strategic intent is to continue to fully utilise our peatland resources to create value in order to develop a portfolio of sustainable infrastructure in Ireland, to support customers’ requirements for renewable energy, water and resource recovery. Drehid is the cornerstone of Bord na Móna’s Resource Recovery business. It comprises of integrated waste management and provides collection, recovery, recycling, treatment, and disposal services. It trades as AES where it serves over 100,000 residential homes throughout the Midlands, South-East and Mid-West regions, as well as 5,000 commercial customers nationwide.”
The resource recovery project created 25 jobs during the construction of the Gas Power Plant and a further 4 permanent positions will be maintained for the ongoing operation of the site. Bord na Móna has a proven track record of delivering sustainability and innovation in Ireland and this project expands the company’s portfolio of power generation including the extensive wind energy projects currently under development by Bord na Móna.