Council seeks further information on Offaly company's major power plan

An Offaly firm's plans for a major battery storage facility in neighbouring Westmeath is on hold after the local authority sought furhter infor

Westmeath County Council has requested further information from Lumcloon Energy Limited on its proposal to construct a battery storage facility outside Rochfortbridge.

The battery storage facility is part of a €500m energy plant Lumcloon Energy Limited wants to build on a site in the townlands of Kiltotan, Collinstown and Oldtown.

Earlier this month the council also requested further information on Lumcloon's plans for the other part of the project, a gas fired power plant.

The council received over 100 submissions from locals opposed to Lumcloon's proposed development.

The proposed development will comprise a 65MW battery storage facility and a 275MW FlexGen power plant, fuelled by natural gas.

The battery facility will store energy from the grid obtained at times of high wind generation and release it during high demand and periods of low renewable generation, while the natural gas generator will operate only at times of extreme or unanticipated pressure on supply and will draw gas (and eventually hydrogen) supplies from the natural gas pipeline a few kilometres to the north of the 50-acre site, which is just west of Rochfortbridge near the M6.

Up to 400 jobs will be created during construction, and 25 people will be employed on a permanent basis when the plant is operational; Lumcloon say there will be an additional 50 service-related indirect jobs.

The project will take between two and three years to complete, and a construction phase of 18-24 months.