Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019
861. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of compressed natural gas public fuelling stations open and operational; the location in which they are based; the number planned and scheduled to open in 2019; the location in which the scheduled stations will be based; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54167/18]
View answer862. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 14 compressed natural gas refuelling sites were scheduled to be opened between 2016 and 2020 and to date there are none open; the number of stations that will be open by 2020; if the funding that has been made available for the 14 service stations will be lost if they are not all open and operational by 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54168/18]
View answer863. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on whether there are regulatory problems in relation to the provision of compressed natural gas fuelling stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54169/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 861 to 863, inclusive, together.
The delivery of 14 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling stations, as part of the Causeway Project co-funded by the EU Connecting Europe Facility, is an operational matter for Gas Networks Ireland.
I have been provided with an update on the current status of these stations by Gas Networks Ireland which is set out in the following table.
|
- |
Location |
Status |
|
Station 1 |
Dublin Port |
The Commission for the Regulations of Utilities has issued Ireland’s first CNG Supplier License to Circle K in December. The introduction of public refuelling will commence shortly (in January) with access being managed at commencement to ensure smooth operation. |
|
Station 2 |
Exit 8, Cashel |
Planning permission is in place with programme on track for operation in July 2019 |
|
Station 3 |
Kinsale Road, Cork |
Project is progressing with programme on track for operation in August 2019. |
|
Station 4, 5, 6, 7 |
Louth, Limerick, Portlaoise and Tipperary (exact locations to be confirmed) |
Construction is expected to take place in 2019. |
|
Station 8-14 |
To be confirmed. |
Negotiations in relation to locations are ongoing. |
Gas Networks Ireland has stated that is committed to opening these 14 CNG filling stations and is aiming for all of them to be operational by the end of 2020.
