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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Nov 1979

Vol. 317 No. 3

Written Answers. - Electricity Costs.

343.

asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the average fuel cost per unit of electricity generated by the ESB before transmission on the grid, in 1978-79, (a) in the oil-fired stations, (b) in the coal-fired stations, (c) in the milled peat stations, (d) in the sod peat stations, (e) in the hydro stations, and (f) in the gas-fired stations, in the form of a reply of 15 February 1979.

The information requested by the Deputy, as furnished to me by the ESB is as follows:

Average fuel cost per unit sent out

(a) oil-fired stations

1.169p

(b) coal-fired station

2.498p

(c) milled-peat stations

0.927p

(d) sod peat stations

1.182p

(e) hydro stations

Nil

The natural gas-fired generators at Marina, Cork, have only recently been commissioned. Due to the very limited quantities of gas used and problems associated with commissioning, it is not feasible to calculate a realistic average fuel cost per unit, for natural gas-fired generators for 1978-79.

344.

asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the average fuel cost per unit of electricity generated by the ESB before transmission on the grid for 1977-78 and for 1978-79, (1) the average cost per unit of electricity generated from peat, the number of units generated, the total cost of peat, (2) the average cost per unit of electricity generated from coal/oil/gas, the number of units generated and the total cost of coal/oil/gas, (3) the average difference in the cost per unit of electricity in pence between (i) peat, (ii) coal/oil/gas, (4) the yield in £'s of the difference in (3) by reference to the number of units generated in (1).

I am advised by the ESB that the average fuel cost per unit of electricity generated before transmission on the grid was for 1977-78 1.131p and for 1978-79 1.146p. The further information requested by the Deputy, which has also been furnished to me by the ESB, is given hereunder in the form of a tabular statement.

1977-78

1978-79

(1) Peat

Average fuel cost per unit

0.826p

0.964p

Number of units

2,010.8 million

1,726.1 million

Total cost of peat

£16,604,150

£16,631,073

(2) Coal/Oil/Gas

Average fuel cost per unit

1.226p

1.191p

Number of units

5,768.2 million

6,909.7 million

Total cost of coal/oil/gas

£70,733,677

£82,317,404

(3) Difference in average cost per unit of peat and coal/oil/gas

0.4p

0.227p

(4) Saving to ESB by using peat

£804,320

£391,825

Part 4 of the Deputy's question has been interpreted as the saving to the ESB by using peat as fuel instead of coal/oil/gas.

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