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Irish Examiner
12-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Environmental group challenges permission for Shannon LNG terminal in Kerry
An environmental group has brought a High Court action seeking to quash An Bord Pleanála's (ABP) decision to grant planning permission for a liquefied natural gas terminal in north Co Kerry. The planning authority in March granted permission to Shannon LNG for the proposed development of a 600MW power plant on a 630-acre site between Tarbert and Ballylongford on the Shannon Estuary. On Monday, Mr Justice Richard Humphreys gave permission to John Kenny BL, appearing for Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) and instructed by FP Logue solicitors, to bring judicial review proceedings against An Bord Pleanála, Ireland, the Attorney General and the Minister for Housing. Shannon LNG is a notice party in the action. Last September, following proceedings brought by Shannon LNG, Mr Justice Humphreys overturned the board's refusal of planning permission for the proposed power station. In its reviewed decision, the board said it was satisfied that the plant was consistent with national climate ambitions. In its court documents, FIE claims that ABP breached Irish and European law in granting permission for the proposed development. FIE claims An Bord Pleanála failed to adequately consider statutory carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings set out in the Government's Climate Action Plan 2024 in its decision, and its related obligations under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. FIE says that the board did not gauge how the proposed development was consistent with carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings, other than to justify the granted permission because of Government policy support for constructing gas-fired power stations deemed necessary for achieving the target of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. FIE says the calculated greenhouse gas emissions arising from the proposed development is 'manifestly incorrect and significantly underestimated' in an environmental impact assessment report submitted to the board by the developer. Based on these 'underestimated' calculations, the proposed development will account for one third of all budgeted emissions – based on limits set out in the 2024 Climate Action Plan – from the entire electricity sector in 2030, FIE claims. FIE also says the board was wrong to find that the proposed development constitutes a sustainable development, and its decision to grant permission is invalid as it constitutes a material contravention of the Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028 and Listowel Municipal District Local Area Plan 2020-2026. FIE says An Bord Pleanála breached obligations under the European Union's environmental impact assessment directive. The environmental group claims the board could not and did not make a valid decision on the impact of the proposed development under the EU's Habitats Directive. The case returns to court in two weeks. Read More An Bord Pleanála withdraws appeal leave application in Shannon LNG case
The Journal
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
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'. Advertisement 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'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
