Work to begin on Bord Gáis power plant

WORK will commence in October on a €400 million Bord Gáis power plant in Cork, creating 300 jobs.

Bord Gáis announced yesterday that it has appointed a GE/GAMA consortium to provide the key equipment and to build its power plant at Whitegate in Cork.

The plant is expected to start operating in early 2010.

A spokeswoman from Bord Gáis said the company has plans to develop other sites in the future but no details have yet been finalised.

She also said that the recruitment process for its new chief executive is ongoing.

Bord Gáis said the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract was awarded to GE/GAMA following a 10-month tendering process.

GE will be providing equipment such as the gas and steam turbines, generator and boiler.

Head of strategic investments at Bord Gáis, Dave Kirwan, said: “The power plant project has reached a very significant stage with the awarding of the EPC contract.

“With GE/GAMA, we have a highly experienced and respected partnership and we’re looking forward to seeing the project move from the planning phase to construction in a few months time.”

The proposed 440MW gas-fired combined-cycle plant, which will involve a total investment of around €400m, will be located within the ConocoPhillips refinery site at Whitegate in east Cork.

Planning permission has been granted by Cork County Council and arrangements for the electricity grid and gas pipeline connections are in place, according to Bord Gáis, which entered the electricity supply business in 2001 and holds about 8% of the Irish market.