Judicial review lodged against plans for 600MW Shannon LNG power plant
AN IRISH ENVIRONMENTAL group has lodged a judicial review against plans for a gas power plant in Co Kerry.
American-owned company Shannon LNG Ltd intends to build a 600 MW power plant and 120 MWh battery energy storage system on a 630-acre site between Tarbert and Ballylongford.
An Bord Pleanála
granted planning permission
for the development in March.
However, it could be held up by a judicial review lodged today by Friends of the Irish Environment, the group behind the case that led to the
2020 Supreme Court ruling
that a governmental climate plan was too vague to comply with legal requirements.
The group is arguing that the Environmental Impact Assessment of the project has underestimated the gross amount of greenhouse gas emissions that would be produced.
It argues that any new source of direct and indirect emissions of methane – a primary component of LNG – is 'liable to compromise alignment with Ireland's Climate Act'.
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In its submission to the High Court, it also argues that An Bord Pleanála seems to suggest the development would held Ireland to meet a 2GW target for new gas plans under the National Development Plan, but there are at least 3GW worth of projects that have already received final grant of planning permission and another 2.7GW worth in the planning process.
Friends of the Irish Environment estimates that the plant could account for one-third of all of Ireland's electricity sector's budgeted emissions in 2030.
'To commit Ireland to further fossil fuel generation when the planned capacity has been met is fundamentally flawed as households will bear the financial costs and the inevitable overshoot of our climate targets will require cuts to other sectors – or eye-watering fines', Friends of the Irish Environment director Tony Lowes said.
The group is represented by FP Logue Solicitors, John Kenny BL and James Devlin SC.
The planning application from Shannon LNG Ltd sought permission to build a power plant with three turbine halls, each of which would include two gas turbines with generators and two heat recovery steam generators with 35-metre tall exhaust stacks. It also proposed a 120-megawatt hour battery energy storage system.
When the project was granted permission, it was welcomed by several local politicians, including Kerry TD and Minister for Children Norma Foley, who said the 'land bank in Tarbert has been ripe for development for many decades'.
'The granting of planning permission for this project has the potential to bring significant employment opportunities to the area,' Foley said at the time.
However, Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman said that the decision 'represents further evidence of the retreat from pro-climate policies that is being led by the new government'.
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