Power shortages - Urgent need to modernise power plants

GET out the winter woolies and store up on candles, because it could be a cold, dark Christmas.

That is the message from the Economic and Social Research Institute. The danger exists because there is a fine line between the Electricity Supply Board’s production capacity and the rising energy demands of the Celtic Tiger economy.

A great strain is put on capacity during the long winter nights, especially with the increased demands of the festive season.

As a result some of the more pessimistic projections suggest that there is as much as a 47% chance of power shortages.

Ironically the danger to our power supply will be greatest, if there are low winds, because this leads to a drop in the capacity of the 640 wind farms scattered around the country.

A study last month found that 18% of the generating capacity was unavailable because of unexpected mechanical failures at three of the country’s fifty-four power plants. All but one of those faulty units is again operational, but the reliability of too many units is suspect because they are so old.

This highlights the need to modernise our power plants. The cost of replacing the 1,200 MW capacity is currently estimated at around €480m, but this could be a small price to pay in comparison with the likely damage, if power plants are shut down.

This loss would not only be in the form of damage to businesses but also in every home in the country. Older generations may remember extended power failures that caused little permanent damage, but that was before most homes had freezers and refrigerators to store food.

A protracted power failure could lead to massive losses, and it will still be necessary to pay the money to modernise the equipment, so it makes sense to face that reality before it becomes an absolute necessity.

It may not be our problem today, but it will be someday unless we face up to necessity of modernising as soon as possible.