Charles Flanagan
Question:116 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the Government's policy on the future of peat burning power stations as a means of generating electricity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6175/00]
Written Answers. - Electricity Generation.
Security and reliability of supply is one of the main tenets of Irish energy policy. In line with this, the ESB operates a mixed fuel policy in the generation of electricity including the use of peat in a number of peat stations.
The EU electricity directive contains provision for the use of indigenous fuel, for security of supply reasons, for up to 15% of primary energy requirements. The directive also makes separate provision for a public service obligation mechanism relating to security of supply.
There is no change in Government policy on the continued use of peat on security grounds in the generation of electricity.
On 17 February 2000, I announced a new milestone framework for the electricity market in Ireland. I indicated that, following consultations with the EU Commission in Brussels, two new state of the art peat stations, to be owned by ESB, would be built over the next few years in addition to the state of the art peat fired plant currently under construction in the East Midlands by Edenderry Power Limited. In the meantime, existing peat stations producing electricity will operate under an interim PSO arrangement to facilitate orderly closure as the new stations come on stream.
The scenario outlined above is an optimum one which: guarantees the continued use of peat as a fuel in the generation of electricity for reasons of security of supply; provides environmental and efficiency requirements through the use of modern state of the art technology; and underpins longer term employment in the production of peat.