Moneypoint
Encyclopedia
Moneypoint is Ireland
's largest electricity generation station (output 915 MW) and only coal-fired power station
. It is located on the River Shannon
near Kilrush
, County Clare
and was constructed at a cost of more than £700m, in one of the largest capital projects in the history of the Republic of Ireland
. The station operates largely on coal
, making it both unique in the context of Irish electricity production and the country's single largest emitter of greenhouse gases. It is capable of meeting around 25% of customer demand across the country.
The power station chimneys, at 218m, are the tallest free standing structures in Ireland.
to choose coal as a resource, as it was seen as a plentiful resource with a stable price.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
's largest electricity generation station (output 915 MW) and only coal-fired power station
Fossil fuel power plant
A fossil-fuel power station is a power station that burns fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or petroleum to produce electricity. Central station fossil-fuel power plants are designed on a large scale for continuous operation...
. It is located on the River Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
near Kilrush
Kilrush
Kilrush is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the county. Kilrush is a town of great historical significance, being one of the listed Heritage Towns of Ireland.-History:...
, County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
and was constructed at a cost of more than £700m, in one of the largest capital projects in the history of the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. The station operates largely on coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, making it both unique in the context of Irish electricity production and the country's single largest emitter of greenhouse gases. It is capable of meeting around 25% of customer demand across the country.
The power station chimneys, at 218m, are the tallest free standing structures in Ireland.
History
Moneypoint was under construction from 1979 to 1987. Before its construction, Ireland depended heavily on imported oil for its energy. The 1970s sharp increase in oil prices over a short period of time led the government and the Electricity Supply BoardElectricity Supply Board
The Electricity Supply Board , is a semi-state electricity company in Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a liberalised and competitive market...
to choose coal as a resource, as it was seen as a plentiful resource with a stable price.