FILE REFERENCE: PL16.227487 DEVELOPMENT: Erection of a 100 megawatt electricity power generating station designed to operate in combined heat and power (CHP) mode and all associated site works and services. LOCATION: Tawnaghmore Upper and Tawnaghmore Lower, Killala, County Mayo. APPLICATION Applicant: Mayo Power Limited. Planning Authority: Mayo County Council P.A. reference: P07/707 P.A. decision: To grant permission. APPEAL Appeal type: Third Party Appellants: 1. Killala Community Council 2. Michael O’Donnell 3. An Taisce 4. Asahi Development Committee INSPECTOR Öznur Yücel-Finn --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PL16.227487 An Bord Pleanala Page 1 of 86 CONTENTS Page 1. INTRODUCTION 2. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 3. SITE AND LOCATIONAL CONTEXT 4. EIS 5. PLANNING AUTHORITY’S DECISION 6. PLANNING HISTORY 7. GROUNDS OF APPEAL • Killala Community Council • Michael O’Donnell • An Taisce • Asahi Development Committee 8. FIRST PARTY RESPONSE TO GROUNDS OF APPEAL 9. OBSERVATIONS • Peatland Council • An Taisce observations on other appeals • George and Robert Carroll • Friends of the Irish Environment • P.J. Mc Namara and others • North Mayo Peat Industrial Committee • Asahi Development Committee observations on other appeals 10. RELEVANT POLICIES AND GUIDELINES 11. COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN PROVISIONS 12. ASSESSMENT 13. RECOMMENDATION --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PL16.227487 An Bord Pleanala Page 2 of 86 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This is a third party appeal against the decision of Mayo County Council to grant permission for a development of 100 megawatt electricity power station designed to operate in combined heat and power (CHP) mode. The application is accompanied by an EIS (it is below the threshold of 300MW where one would be mandatory). The proposed power station would be subject to an IPPC Licence and would be required to obtain a GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Permit from the EPA. 1.2 The grounds of appeal presented by four parties relate at the macro level to climate change and greenhouse emissions, sustainability, contravention of government policy in relation to energy future of Ireland, and inadequacy of the submitted EIS. Some maintain that the proposed development is located in the wrong location within the county or that the type of fuel used is inappropriate. At a local level concerns are expressed regarding pollution and smoke, health and safety issues, future conversion to an incinerator, traffic safety, lack of proper infrastructure, impact on the natural beauty of the area, visual impact and impact on tourism. 2. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 2.1 The proposed development is described in full in the public notice. It basically involves construction of a 100 megawatt combined heat and power (CHP) plant designed to generate steam alongside electricity. It is envisaged that the steam from the process will be made available to industrial users utilising the adjoining sites. The project is described to have a detachable power load which means a source of electricity that can be dispatched at the request of the grid operator, that is, turned on (or off) on demand. 2.2 The fuel proposed for the power plant is a mixture of wood, peat and coal in various proportions. Two possible scenarios are outlined: High Bio-mass usage – 40% wood, 40% peat, 20% coal Low Bio-mass usage – 25% wood, 40% peat, 35% coal. The requirements would be in the region of 250,000 – 400,000 tonnes of wood, 260,000 – 400,000 tonnes of peat and 58,000-104,000 tonnes of coal. These would be mixed with oil/gas as the start-up fuel. Also required would be lime to be used in the fluidised bed boilers. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PL16.227487 An Bord Pleanala Page 3 of 86 Also required would be approximately 15,000 tonnes per annum of ground limestone to reduce the sulphur emissions. 2.3 The power station would create significant quantities of ash between 32,000 and 38,000 tonnes per annum depending on the fuel scenarios. 2.4 The basic structures in the proposed development would involve a power station plant which would operate for 8,000 hours per year (equal to 11 months) with programmed shutdown and maintenance of 760 hours (equal to 1 month). The electricity would be exported to the national grid and the steam would be used by industries located in close proximity to the power station. A number of structures are proposed details of which are outlined below: Table 3.1 Indicative Footprint Areas and Heights of Key Structures of the Proposal Structure Areas (m 2) Heights (m) Turbine House 1,472 24.5 Boiler House 1,042 50 Bag Filter 680 41.25 Stack 30 70 Administration Building and Workshop 543 15.35 Electrical Annexe 537 10.5 Transformers 222 8.4 Demineralisation Plant Building 250 8.4 Cooling Towers 1,207 16.5 Woodchip Store 5,560 17.7 Peat Store 3,190 14.8 Coal Store 3,500 22 Ash Silos 242 33 Garage and Amenities Building 300 + 450 10.85 Switchroom 150 3 The boiler house would be a fully enclosed steel structure. It is described as a circulating fluidised bed boiler (CFB). In such boilers sand, limestone and fuel ash would form the bed material. Typically combustion would take place at 850 – 900º centigrade bed temperatures. It is stated that CFBs would offer high combustion efficiency, low sulphur dioxide (SO 2), low nitrogen oxides (NO x) emissions and low carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon emissions, and and stable operating conditions. Turbine House would be a full enclosed steel structure incorporating acoustic encasement where required. The steam turbine is stated to be designed to --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PL16.227487 An Bord Pleanala Page 4 of 86 operate in either power generating mode only or in the combined heat and power mode. 2.5 The transformer would be an outdoor three phase transformer exporting electricity to the existing 110 kV transmission substation adjacent to the existing ESB peaking plant via a buried cable. The total power station area is stated to be about 21.66 hectares of which approximately 20.05 hectares of land would be acquired by Mayo Power Limited. Further 1.6 hectares would be leased under long-term arrangement. I shall refer to the five main components of the proposal i.e. power station plant, fuel and material management, processed water management, ash management, ancillary facilities in a later chapter under EIS. 3. SITE AND LOCATIONAL CONTEXT 3.1 The appeal site is located in the former Asahi Business Park. A portion of the industrial estate was originally occupied by Asahi Chemical Industry Company synthetic fibre manufacturing plant which operated from 1977 until 1998. The manufacturing plant and associated buildings occupied some 30 hectares of the total site area of 160 hectares. 3.2 The purpose built industrial estate is adjacent to the Regional Route R314 Ballina – Ballycastle Road approximately 3.2 kilometres south of the town of Killala in County Mayo and 9 kilometres north-west of the town of Ballina. A number of businesses are now located on the original 30 hectare operational site of Asahi. These include: • Electricity Supply Board (ESB) – 50 megawatts peaking plant and substation. (This plant provides electricity to the national grid only at times of higher demand. Electricity is generated by diesel generators). • SCHÜTZ (Ireland) Limited – supply of intermediate bulk containers (IBC) to the soft drinks industry. • John Hogan – Artist, Blacksmith road iron materials and goods. • Michael Honan and Associates – office use. There are a number of buildings and structures unoccupied and in a neglected state within the industrial estate including the western portion of what was once the Asahi spinning process building and what was once the Asahi storage building. 3.3 The general area surrounding the business park is a rural agricultural area with some scrub or rough grazing. The industrial estate located on a high plateau --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PL16.227487 An Bord Pleanala Page 5 of 86 has commanding views over the surrounding area and is visible from a considerable area. There is some ribbon development along the regional road and other roads along the road frontage of some farmland. There is a small cluster of dwellings at the junction of Mullafarry Road (running along the southern boundary of the industrial estate) and the Regional road. It is stated in the Planning Authority’s report that there are some 38 dwellings within a 500 metre radius of the proposed development some of which are farmhouses associated with agricultural land. Nine dwellings are stated to be located at the junction of the road to Mullafarry and R314. The nearest dwelling to the proposed development is stated to be approximately 40 metres from development boundary and 280 metres from the main operational area. 3.4 Lisglennon Water Treatment Plant owned and operated by Mayo County Council is stated to be located approximately 1 kilometre west of the proposed development along the road to Mullafarry. 3.5 A large limestone quarry referred to as Mullafarry Quarry producing limestone aggregates, pre-coated stone, asphalt, manufacturing blocks and paviors and other products is located