Green light for construction of €300m Cork power station

THE go-ahead has been given for a new power plant to be built in County Cork to compete with the ESB and bring fresh competition to the electricity market.

Last night Natural Resources Minister Noel Dempsey gave the ESB permission to begin construction of the €300 million gas-powered plant at Aghada.

However, while the 400 mega-watt facility will be operational by 2009 it can only be built on condition the ESB sells all of the power its creates to competitors.