Cork power plant to create 300 jobs

A total of 300 new jobs will be created when Bord Gáis begins building a new €400m power plant at Whitegate, Co Cork, in October.

Bord Gáis announced today that it has appointed a GE/GAMA consortium to provide the key equipment and to build its new power plant at the ConocoPhillips refinery site at Whitegate in east Cork.

The 300 jobs will be on top of another extra 300 construction jobs which will come on stream when the ESB begins building Cork’s second power plant at Aghada.

Construction of this electricity generating project, also €400m, will be on the site of the present ESB plant at Aghada.

Construction of the huge Whitegate project is scheduled to start in October and the gas-fired plant will start pumping electricity into the national grid by early 2010.

Dave Kirwan, head of strategic investments at Bord Gáis, said: “We will now start meeting again with the local residents and businesses to discuss our construction plans and explain how we intend to manage the project so as to cause least possible disruption in the area.”

Planning permission was granted by Cork County Council and arrangements for the electricity grid and gas pipeline connections are in place.

The Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract was awarded to GE/GAMA following a 10-month tendering process. The American company GE will be providing the gas and steam turbines, generator, boiler and other key equipment. They are an industry leader in the field, with more than 6,000 gas turbines installed worldwide.

GAMA, a Turkish company, is the third largest international contractor in fossil fuel projects and has extensive worldwide experience in major infrastructure projects, including power plant projects in Ireland.

“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,” Mr Kirwan said.

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.

Bord Gáis entered the electricity supply business in 2001 and holds about 8% of the total Irish market.

The company’s growth strategy will see it expand its electricity business in the coming years and this development in particular will support its ability to service its existing and future customers with a long-term source of competitive electricity.

Bord Gáis already serves almost 600,000 gas customers.

Meanwhile, in a move which would bring more competition into the Irish electricity market, Britain’s Scottish and Southern, say they intend to set up business here.