Heating plant proposal raises temperature among locals

Residents of a Kerry town are objecting to the proposed site of a €15 million “green” heating plant.

Killarney Renewables Ltd has lodged a planning application with the town council for a biomass plant to provide a district heating system that would be much cheaper than an oil-fired system.

However, some householders living close to the site in the Ballycasheen/Woodlawn Rd area claim the development would be unsuitable for a predominantly residential area.

At a meeting of residents, town councillors and officials, elected members also voiced reservations about the former warehouse site.

“We’re concerned on health-and-safety ground, in regard to atmospheric emissions and increased heavy-duty traffic, as well as noise from the plant,” said one resident.

Locals also claimed the area was currently zoned for light industry, but the large biomass plant, which would be 17 metres high and would have two chimneys rising eight metres above that, could not be considered a light industry.

Independent town councillor Niall O’Callaghan said the location was “totally wrong”.

“Everyone agrees in principle to having a ‘green’ heating system in Killarney, but definitely not on this site. People should not be expected to live close to something like that,” he said.

“When we met with the residents, all the councillors present spoke out against the site. The presentation by the residents was the best I’ve heard since coming on the council. There must surely be an alternative site suitable for this project.”

Con McCarthy of Killarney Renewables said the chosen location was the only one available.

While the IDA had several sites in Killarney, a biomass plant would not come under the IDA’s criteria, he added. “We spent nearly 18 months trying to procure a site and it was not possible to get one from the council. We looked at every possible site and this was the only one we could secure a deal on,” Mr McCarthy told the Irish Examiner.

He said the plant had to be located in the heart of the town, as the cost of laying pipes from an outside site would make the project unviable. He also said traffic generated by the plant would average two, or three, truckloads per day and would be less than that created by a warehouse.

“I’d be surprised if the concerns expressed [about the site] were widespread in Killarney,” said Mr McCarthy, a native of Drimoleague, Co Cork.

Killarney Town Council has given its backing, in principle, to the project, which would provide a communal system of “green” renewable heat and electricity and has been flagged as the largest biomass scheme of its type in Ireland.

Locally-sourced woodchip from forest thinnings would be used to create enough renewable energy for 5,000 homes, hotels and businesses. Hot water from the plant would be distributed via a pipe network around the town. Upwards of 150 jobs would be created during the construction phase and 20 permanent jobs on completion of the plant, according to Killarney Renewables.

Concerned residents will tomorrow meet in the Killarney Heights Hotel at 8pm.