Peat used for final time this weekend in power station

Peat was used for the final time in the generation of electricity this weekend.

Bord na Móna confirmed that it ended the use of peat at its power station in Edenderry in Offaly this weekend, bringing the curtain down on over seven decades of the fuel being used to generate electricity in the midlands.

Edenderry Power was the last remaining power station in the country to burn peat as a fuel to generate power. It has been mixing peat with biomass as a fuel source in recent years, whilst gradually moving away from peat.

Bord na Móna CEO Tom Donnellan said “Today, as we use peat to fuel our Edenderry Power Station for the final time, we have completed our unprecedented transition to using renewable energy sources and are now one of the largest producers of renewable electricity in the State”.

Peat was first used to generate electricity in 1950 at the now defunct Portarlington station. Other peat-fired stations including Shannonbridge, Ferbane, Rhode, Allenwood, Bellacorick and Lanesborough which opened since then have also all subsequently closed.

Mr Donnellan also announced a €100m investment at the Edenderry site to facilitate its decarbonisation and use of 100% biomass to deliver 118MW of renewable electricity for the national grid.

Bord na Móna’s announcement also means that Ireland is among the first EU member states to cease its use of an indigenous fossil fuel for climate action goals, rather than economic reasons.

Head of Renewable Energy for Bord na Móna, John Reilly added, “By ending the use of peat at our Edenderry Power Station, Bord na Móna is pioneering the expansion of our climate solutions and renewable energy offering to safeguard green energy supply for the future. The Edenderry Complex is a key part of this journey to support the achievement of Ireland’s renewable energy targets by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.

“The €100 million investment to decarbonise Edenderry will allow Bord na Móna to continue delivering on energy security while also meeting our renewable energy goals. As Ireland transitions towards a net zero future, Edenderry will leverage biomass as a carbon-neutral energy source that will support the national grid and communities right across Ireland.”

The move to 100% biomass use at Edenderry has though sparked concerns after it emerged that supplies had to be sources from as far away as Brazil to supplement locally-source biomass.