Plans in pipeline for energy facility
Plans are on the cards for green energy facility at Bantry Bay, it was announced this week.
Zenith Energy and EI-H2 announced on Tuesday plans for a joint venture to develop a 3.2 gigawatt (GW) green energy facility to produce green hydrogen and green ammonia.
The project will involve the engagement of key stakeholders in conducting a detailed feasibility study to explore the project’s full potential. Zenith Energy and EI-H2 have commenced a year-long feasibility study before an application for planning permission will be made. The new facility could be operational by 2028, by which time sufficient wind generation from off-shore sources will be available to meet the proposed scale of the project.
The new facility, when fully operational, has the potential to reduce Irish carbon emissions by 2.4 million tonnes per year, which represents the equivalent of the carbon emissions of a quarter of all Irish homes, those behind the venture have said.
It will operate alongside Zenith Energy’s existing Bantry Bay Terminal and will be one of the largest of its kind in the world, they said.
The first phase of the project will see the construction of a scalable green hydrogen production facility, up to 2.7 GW in capacity. The second phase involves the construction of a 500MW green ammonia facility, using the green hydrogen from the first phase. The green energy produced by the facility will be used both domestically and internationally, providing carbon free alternatives to help reduce the country’s carbon footprint, and to put Ireland on the green energy export map.
Ellen Ruhotas, Managing Director of Zenith Energy, said: “We are pleased to be involved in this exciting, new joint venture. This partnership is an excellent opportunity for our Bantry operations, for the local community and for Ireland as a country.
“For many years now, our Whiddy Island operation has supported the security of Ireland’s energy supply. This new joint venture will see Zenith Energy take a pioneering role in the development of a new green energy industry for Ireland. Critically, our green hydrogen and green ammonia production plans align with Government and EU policy for meeting the region’s 2050 climate action goals.”
Pearse Flynn, founder of EI-H2, said: “Ireland is on the cusp of a genuine green revolution. Instead of waiting for someone else to decarbonise our country, we are looking to develop domestic ways of making a real difference. With a renewable source of off-shore wind and water, we can produce real fuel alternatives to help industry and commercial customers reduce their carbon footprint.”