Written answers

Thursday, 31 January 2008

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Electricity Generation

5:00 pm

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 280: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of electricity storage capacity Ireland currently has; his plans to increase the electricity storage capacity; the amount by which it will be increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2788/08]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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ESB owns and operates the pumped water power station with an installed electricity generating capacity of 292 megawatts at Turlough Hill, County Wicklow. National Surveys for suitable pumped storage sites were carried out many years ago. Apart from Turlough Hill, the only other economically viable site was at Camlough in Northern Ireland. However, that site was never commissioned.

It is possible that technological progress could render new sites viable for pumped storage in the future. This is a matter for ESB and EirGrid in the first instance. Compressed air storage is widely used at small scale within industry, but not generally for power generation at significant scale. Developments will be kept under close review by my Department in consultation with EirGrid and the energy sector.

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