Moneypoint power station
| Moneypoint power station | |
|---|---|
Moneypoint Power Station as seen from County Kerry | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 52°36′27″N 9°25′27″W / 52.6075°N 9.4243°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date |
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| Owner | |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | |
| Secondary fuel | |
| Turbine technology | |
| Site area |
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| Chimneys |
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| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 3 × 305 MW |
| Make and model | Foster Wheeler (3) |
| Nameplate capacity |
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| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
Moneypoint power station (Irish: Stáisiún cumhachta Ghob na Muine) is Ireland's largest electricity generation station (with an output 915 MW) and its only coal-fired power station. Commissioned between 1985 and 1987, it is located on the River Shannon, near Kilrush in County Clare, and was constructed at a cost of more than £700m. The station operates largely on coal, making it both unique in the context of Irish electricity production and for a while was the country's single largest emitter of greenhouse gases. At its peak, it was capable of meeting around 25% of customer demand across the country. But by 2023, coal's share of the electricity fuel mix in Ireland had fallen to 4%.
In 2021, its owner, the ESB Group, announced the facility would be closed and replaced with a green-energy hub.
It has two Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) storage tanks with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes which can be used as a back-up fuel if required.
Three Brown Boveri four-cylinder, single-shaft impulse reaction turbines are directly connected to three generators which generate the power. The steam is generated by three Foster Wheeler two-pass boilers, which convert water into high pressure steam by combustion of the coal.
The power station chimneys, at 218m, are the tallest free-standing structures in Ireland.