SSE’s new Great Island power plant is good news for County Wexford now and for decades to come, according to Wexford County Manager Adrian Doyle.
Speaking recently, Mr Doyle said: “It’s hugely important for the county and it’s the biggest infrastructural project in the country at the moment.”
The €331m natural gas CCGT (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine) power plant which is currently under construction will become operational in late 2014 and will be able to power the equivalent of half a million Irish homes.
As part of the project delivery, SSE is delivering a 41km industrial-grade gas pipeline from Bawnlusk, Co. Kilkenny, through Gaslink and Bord Gais Networks into the heart of Ireland’s South East, an area that currently has no access to such strategic infrastructure. The total development cost to SSE of this gas pipeline extension is over €43m. While this gas pipeline will be used to fuel the CCGT power station it has been purposely over-sized to accommodate regional development in the future.
Mr Doyle said the further €20m gas pipeline extension from Great Island to Wexford town and the Taghmon areas will potentially be very important to the county in terms of attracting foreign direct investment into the county. “With the availability of gas the potential is huge as it’s cheaper and it’s an alternative energy source. In addition to the industrial land and space that we have in County Wexford, we’ll now have gas to offer as well.”
Peter Gavican, SSE’s Project Manager for the Great Island CCGT Project, said: “SSE is proud of the role it is playing to help extend the natural gas pipeline extension from Great Island to Wexford town, which is now possible due to the CCGT development. This will be a critical component to attracting future inward investment into the region. For the first time businesses and large industrials in south Wexford will have access to an industrial-grade natural gas network. This will help accommodate further regional development and provide access by businesses and larger manufacturing industrials to a cleaner, more convenient and more economic fuel source. Most importantly it will significantly improve the attractiveness of the region for inward investment by larger manufacturers and multinationals.”