ESB vows charges will fall at opening of generating plant

THE ESB indicated it may cut household charges next year as the company officially opened a state- of-the-art generating plant capable of supplying 450,000 homes.

ESB chief executive Pádraig McManus said the company would be “competitive” when the regulator lifts restrictions preventing it from engaging in a price war with Bord Gáis. He made his comments as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, officially opened the ESB’s new €435 million gas-fired power station at Aghada, Co Cork.

A total of 80 people will be employed at the power station, which is the largest in Ireland and among the most efficient electricity generators in Europe.

The plant was built at a cost of €360m, while the company spent an additional €75m upgrading the four existing generating units on the site, which themselves supply 400,00 homes.

More than two million man-hours were spent constructing the power station, which was built with more than 2,000 tonnes of steel.

The finished product will supply around a quarter of Ireland’s electricity needs and the project was delivered on time and within budget.

Mr Martin said the development represented a major boost to the area.

“The reinvestment in the existing plant at Aghada and the construction of a new adjacent power station guarantees electricity generation and jobs for decades to come in the Cork area. We are also acutely conscious of the challenges facing us in regard to climate change and this power station has been built with clean energy in mind and to the highest environmental standards with minimum emissions,” the minister said.

ESB chairman Lochlann Quinn said the Aghada plant adds significantly to Ireland’s security of energy supply while contributing to a cleaner environment.

“This development at Aghada illustrates how ESB really is an innovative and far-seeing energy company. In spite of extremely difficult economic conditions, the company has proceeded to deliver a plant of this calibre and to press ahead with its overall strategy of providing low-carbon electricity to our customers. We remain completely committed to implementing our ambitious Strategic Framework to 2020,” Mr Quinn said.