asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the percentage of ESB supply which relate to (i) oil, (ii) natural gas, (iii) turf, (iv) coal and (v) hydro-power.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Electricity Supply.
12.
The information requested by the Deputy is in the form of a tabular statement which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
STATEMENT.
|
Energy source |
Units generated for year ending 31/3/79 (millions) |
Percentage of total |
|
Oil |
7,196 |
71% |
|
Natural Gas |
66 |
5% |
|
Turf |
1,869 |
18% |
|
Coal |
47 |
5% |
|
Hydro (including pumped storage) |
981 |
10% |
|
Totals:— |
10,159 |
100% |
Can the Minister tell us under what heading the Turlough Hill development comes, is it under oil or hydro?
For the purposes of this statement it is classified as hydro. But the net amount of electricity that that generates, as the Deputy probably knows, is nil as far as I am aware. It is designed to make electricity available at times of peak demand, to use power available at times of low demand to pump water and provide the needs of the peak demand.
Can the Minister tell us what other sources of energy are at present being investigated, as a possible source of electricity and power, for instance, solar wave energy or fastgrowing timber which has been suggested as a substitute for turf?
All these potential sources are under investigation. I have recently given full details to the House of the work being carried out in connection with them.
13.
asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the proportion of electricity generated through the use of milled peat; the locations of power stations using milled peat; and the proposals, if any, to increase production and use of this natural resource.
I am informed by the Electricity Supply Board that, in the year to 31 March 1979, the proportion of electricity generated through milled peat was 16 per cent of total output of electricity.
The locations of milled peat power stations are: Lanesboro, Co. Longford; Rhode, Ferbane, Shannonbridge, Co. Offaly; Bellacorick, Co. Mayo.
Production of milled peat by Bord na Móna in 1978/79 amounted to 2.9 million tonnes. 2.7 million tonnes was sold to the ESB for the generation of electricity with the balance being utilised for briquette production.
The third development programme now being undertaken by Bord na Móna will provide for the production of an additional 2.75 million tonnes of milled peat per annum of which 1.75 million tonnes will be sold to the ESB. The ESB plan to utilise most of the additional milled peat to be made available to them under the programme in two new 40 megawatt extensions to the existing stations at Shannonbridge and Lanesboro. These are scheduled for commissioning in 1982/83 and 1983/84 respectively. The balance of the ESB allocation will be used to improve the load factors of existing units.
The remaining production of milled peat under the programme will be used for the manufacture of briquettes. Present production of briquettes by Bord na Móna amounts to approximately 360,000 tonnes per annum. The increased production will be at a new factory at Littleton, Co. Tipperary which is scheduled to commence production in 1981 and at a further new factory at Ballyforan, Co. Galway, which will commence production in 1984. When all the additional factories are in full production the total Bord na Móna briquette production will be 750,000 tonnes or more than double existing production.
Bog development under the programme which involves drainage, levelling and construction of railways, which is now in progress and which usually takes five years, should be sufficiently advanced to enable the additional milled peat production to commence on a limited scale in 1980. Full production should be achieved by 1985.
By the end of the current development programme what percentage of the total power generated will be done through milled peat resources?
Of course the answer to that question will depend on what other generating stations have been or can be built during that time. Really it would be impossible accurately to answer a question based on a number of imponderables to which we cannot know the answer at this stage.
I appreciate that. In the light of the current energy crisis—which as far as we can see will be ongoing—is the Minister satisfied with the current rate of progress based on the development programme initiated prior to the present energy crisis; is he happy that that is adequate or, in the light of the current crisis, will he be suggesting any further expansion of that development programme using this natural resource of which we have a fairly plentiful supply?
The position is that the major potentially commercial bogs which Bord na Móna can develop will all be virtually developed under this third development programme. The remaining peat supplies in the country, in general terms, at that stage, will be confined to the western seaboard counties where the bogs, as the Deputy knows, are of a different nature, are incapable of development by the means Bord na Móna have used in the large midland bogs, which are of considerable extent, depth and are also as a general rule, free from obstructions and difficulties. The next, and perhaps the only remaining, step that can be taken in relation to the further development of peat resources—beyond the third development—is an effort to intensify the use and production of turf from some smaller western bogs. But it would be misleading to suggest that there are vast resources in those bogs. They tend to be small in extent, to be shallow and of a much lower quality than the peat available in the midlands. Nonetheless I would certainly encourage the development of these smaller bogs to the greatest extent I can. Bord na Móna will be unable to do so by the means they have used traditionally. But the western development fund is available to give substantial grants, for example, for the purchase of small turf-cutting machines suitable for use in these small western bogs, and a number of such machines have already been purchased. That is the kind of development I should like to encourage.
In the circumstances outlined by the Minister, in which the western bogs are shallow and in extent and volume not as good as the midland bogs, is he prepared to commission research into the best use of the remaining resource in the west? There seems to me to be, not unlimited but a fair volume of bog there, though much of it may be shallow. Is the Minister prepared to consider the commissioning of research into the way in which this can best be used for energy purposes?
Without being able to say precisely what is the research, I am confident that Bord na Móna have already done a good deal of work on what are the possibilities. For example, there is no possibility of producing milled peat from those bogs. What would be produced would have to be sod turf which is generally much less satisfactory than milled peat. Nonetheless no doubt some reasonable quantity could be extracted from those bogs by a major effort. Up to now it has tended to be done by private interests. It is a matter I would have to discuss with Bord na Móna as to whether they would be anxious to become involved in the development of those bogs. Many of them are at present utilised way below their capacity by private interests who own them, and the advent of Bord na Móna might not be universally welcomed.
Would the Minister encourage his Department to give a grant to local people to purchase these turf-cutting machines?
That is already being done. I understand the grant is paid through the Department for Economic Planning and Development.
A final supplementary on this question. In the light of the present energy crisis is any accelerated development in mind by Bord na Móna to utilise every iota of natural resource we have for the provision of energy? Times have changed since this development programme was initiated and the Minister might encourage some research into the use that could be made of the remaining shallow bogs in the west.
A question please, Deputy.
Is the Minister prepared to initiate any further developments or research into the——
I have answered that already.
The Minister has not given a categorical reply.
I have given a reply as to what the situation is.
The Minister is just hedging.
14.
asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the plans, if any, to reconstruct or return to operation the electricity link-up with Northern Ireland situated near Maynooth, County Kildare; the estimated cost of any works necessary; and the estimated length of time necessary before full production could be achieved.
I have been informed by the ESB that this link has been out of action since September 1975 due to malicious damage. Earlier this year, an attempt to restore the link was frustrated by further damage.
The absence of the interconnector is a serious handicap to both utilities in maintaining continuity of supply. If it were feasible to restore the link, the ESB advise me that it would take about six weeks to carry out the necessary repairs. As the damage is in the south Armagh area, all repair costs fall to be borne by the Northern Ireland Electricity Service. I have no information on what these costs would be.
Is the Minister effectively writing off the possibilities that this interconnector link will be restored, even though we have been warned already that there will be electricity cuts this winter? Is he kissing it goodbye as a source of electricity?
Since I became responsible for energy I have urged the ESB to encourage their counterparts in the North to repair the link which has already been repaired four times this year. As a result of my suggestions to the ESB and theirs to the Northern Ireland Electricity Service, efforts were made to repair the link again. Within a day or two of the work commencing certain terrorists arrived on the scene and threatened the workmen in the south Armagh area. They said that if they persisted in repairing the link they would be shot. Unfortunately, but understandably, the workmen desisted.
The breaks in this interconnector have always been outside our jurisdiction and there have not been any unrepaired breaks in our jurisdiction. If it were possible for the authorities in the North to maintain the link it would be an enormous benefit to us and would be a considerable benefit to the Northern Ireland Electricity Service who have surplus generating capacity which they could very conveniently sell to this part of the country.
Some of the additional capacity which the ESB had to put in in recent years was the direct result of these continuous explosions caused by terrorists. These people, who generally like to describe themselves as patriots, have cost the Republic tens of millions of pounds directly as a result of their activities in breaking this link and may well contribute in a significant way to possible power cuts, and have already contributed to power cuts in recent months. These power cuts would not have taken place if the ESB had been in a position to call on the 300 megawatts which are potentially available on this interconnector.
Do I understand the Minister to say that this link may not be connected owing to a security problem which is outside our jurisdiction, in Northern Ireland?
That is correct.
Will the Minister confirm that the ostensible purpose of the malicious explosions by the subversive elements concerned in the south Armagh area is to obtain blackmail contributions from either authority towards their operations, thus enabling them to develop terrorism even further?
I do not know what their objectives are because I cannot understand the mentality of this kind of person.
Apparently that is what they are after.
Since the interconnector has been out of order for almost four years, it is obvious that nobody is paying blackmail money.
I fully agree with much of what the Minister says, without being quite as categorical as he is about the allegiance of the terrorists. Would he consider investigating, with his counterparts in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the feasibility of constructing the link at another location?
If these people are determined to break the link, I am afraid they could break it somewhere else also.
If there were alternative or substitute links is it not possible that if the location were in more neutral country that——
It would increase the possibility of it being maintained but if the links were to go in elsewhere they would not be able to carry the same capacity as this major specially designed link. Nevertheless, it could be of some help.
It will be extremely important for future connections.
It will, indeed.