Power station used 2 million tonnes of coal to fuel its burners last year

A POWER station in Co Clare last year used approximately two million tonnes of coal to power its coal burners last year.

The annual environmental report drawn up by operator ESB, and submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), confirms Moneypoint station emitted over 3.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in 2010.

This was, however, lower than the permitted 3.7m tonnes permitted under the EU emissions trading scheme, which is a cap and trade scheme, where participating facilities are given a fixed allocation each year.