Two new "green" power plants using the gas naturally released from rubbish dumps in Kill and Kilcullen, Co Kildare, are to be built, it was announced yesterday. Irish Power Systems, which is 50 per cent owned by ESB, has received the go ahead to generate enough electricity to power 5,000 homes from the two landfill sites.
The company already runs a number of other landfill gas plants at Dunsink, Ballealy, Ballyogan, Friarstown and in Tramore Valley, near Cork city.
The company also supplies "green electricity" from its hydroelectric power plants on the Shannon, the Erne, the Liffey and the Lee and through its wind-farm in Co Donegal. The company will use well-established processes to collect the methane gas which is given off from decaying organic matter. For safety reasons, the gas needs to be vented; as methane is a greenhouse gas, if allowed into the atmosphere it would cause environmental damage and contribute to global warming.
The two new plants will have a total capacity of 5 megawatts, enough power to supply approximately 5,000 homes.
In addition to the present landfill sites, which generate 15 megawatts, there will be enough energy to supply 15,000 homes from rubbish. The ESB's renewal energy manager, Mr Brian Ryan, welcomed the announcement and said he was delighted Irish Power Systems were planning to supply clean, alternative energy from the two landfill sites in Co Kildare.