Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Nov 1998

Vol. 496 No. 3

Written Answers. - Air Pollution.

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

52 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the discussions, if any, she had with the ESB in relation to limiting and reducing harmful emissions from power generating stations; if it involves the closure of any generating station; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22661/98]

Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke)

Emissions from ESB power plants fall into two broad categories, namely, greenhouse gases such as CO 2 (carbon dioxide), and acidification pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO 2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx).

Greenhouse gases are dealt with under the Kyoto Protocol. The European Community as a whole has agreed to reduce emissions of six main greenhouse gases by 8 per cent below 1990 levels in the period 2008 to 2012. Within this overall EU reduction target, Ireland's target is to limit the increase in emissions of greenhouse gases to 13 per cent above 1990 levels in the same period. The Kyoto obligations as they relate to electricity refer primarily to emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

My Department and the Department of the Environment and Local Government jointly commissioned a report on The Limitation and Reduction of CO 2 and other Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Ireland in the course of developing a national strategy to meet Ireland's target under the Kyoto protocol. The report was published in June and consultations with all interested parties were invited. A one day discussion forum on the development of a national greenhouse gas abatement strategy for Government approval is now progressing.

In finalising a national strategy, the Government will seek to ensure that the burden of meeting Ireland's Kyoto commitments are shared equitably across all economic sectors, including transport, agriculture, industry and energy. Emissions of SO 2 and NOx from large scale industrial plants are dealt with under the EU Large Combustion Plant Directive 88/609/EC.

National commitments also apply, however, under protocols to the UN-ECE Geneva Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution and informal arrangements entered into between the ESB and Government in this regard are more stringent than the large combustion plant directive limits.

Under the Geneva Convention Protocols, Ireland must limit national NOx emissions to their 1987 levels from 1994 onwards and reduce national SO 2 emissions by 30 per cent on their 1980 level from 2000 onwards. Applied on apro rata basis to the power generaion sector, a NOx emission limit of 42,000 tonnes per annum has been agreed between the ESB and Government. An SO 2 limit of 82,000 tonnes will apply from the year 2000.

ESB reports on its emissions on an annual basis to the Department of the Environment and Local Government and to the Environment Protection Agency. The ESB has met its commitments in the past and has plans in place to ensure compliance in the future. These plans include the additional use of gas, low sulphur oil and coal and the installation of low NOx burners at power stations in addition to those already installed.

The agreement between the ESB and Government regarding limitations on SO 2 and NOx is informal but binding and my Department is kept apprised of the ESB's performance in meeting those voluntary obligations.

The forthcoming measures necessary to implement the EU electricity directive are likely to result in the present agreement with the ESB being superseded by industry-wide arrangements to take account of new entrants to the market in order to ensure that SO 2 and NOx reduction commitments continue to be met.