Report urges investment in biomass

The gradual conversion of the country’s largest power station from coal to biomass would allow Ireland to meet its renewable energy targets “in one single stroke”, according to a British energy expert who completed a report for one of the country’s anti-pylon groups.

The authors of the report say that, at €380m, the conversion of Moneypoint would cost a tenth of the controversial Grid25 upgrade project.

Investment in biomass, combined heat and power plants, and financial support for energy efficiency, would provide better value to taxpayers and pose less risk of electricity blackouts than the planned doubling of wind power output to meet EU targets, said Malcolm Brown of BW Energy.