Aghada_Power_Station

Aghada Power Station

Aghada Power Station

Generation facility in County Cork, Ireland

Aghada power station is a gas-fired power station located near the entrance of Cork Harbour in Aghada, County Cork. It was built at this location in order to use gas that had been discovered at the nearby Kinsale Head gas field,[2] from which gas was extracted from 1978 until its depletion in 2020.[3]

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The station has been operational since 1980, and in 2010 underwent a major upgrade which saw the output capacity almost double thanks to a new combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT). According to its owner, the ESB Group, these upgrades saw it become one of the "largest and most efficient" power stations in Ireland.[4]

History

Aghada generating station began operation in the early 1980s with a capacity of 577 MW. The plant consists of a single 270 MW conventional steam turbine and three 85 MW open-cycle gas turbines. The plant is fuelled with natural gas, which is supplied from the Bórd Gais network and diesel oil is used as an alternative fuel when natural gas supply is low.[5][6]

2010 upgrade

In May 2010, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, officially opened a new combined cycle gas turbine at the plant.[7] The new CCGT was a major upgrade to the power station and provided a new base-load generating capacity to meet rising power demand in Ireland.[8] With a capacity of 435 MW the new CCGT brought the total capacity of the power plant from 528 MW to 963 MW. The CCGT generates enough power to meet the electricity needs of around 450,000 homes.[5]

The CCGT is a GT26 provided by Alstom.[9] The upgrade was part of the ESB's portfolio restructuring programme, which included the closure and divestment of older and less efficient power stations.[8]

Following the upgrade, Aghada consists of the following three types of technology:

  • 1 x 270 MW Alstom gas-fired conventional steam turbine (1980)
  • 3 x 90 MW Alstom Frame 9B, dual fuel open cycle gas turbines (1980s)
  • 1 x 435 MW Alstom single shaft combined cycle gas turbine (2010)

Proposals

In September 2022 the ESB announced that they were to submit a planning application with Cork County Council before the end of 2022 for the construction of a new open cycle gas turbine.[needs update] The OCGT is to be within the existing grounds of Aghada power station and will be expected to generate 299 MW.[10]

References

  1. [1]
    "New power station becomes Ireland's largest". Irish Examiner. 31 May 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  2. [2]
    "PR pamphlet issued on Aghada in the 1990s" (PDF). esbarchives.ie. ESB Group.
  3. [3]
    "Kinsale Head gas field to be decommissioned". Irish Examiner. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  4. [4]
    "Ireland: EIB supports secure, efficient and cleaner electricity supply". European Investment Bank. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  5. [5]
    "Aghada Combined-Cycle Gas-Fired Power Plant - Renewable Technology". www.renewable-technology.com. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  6. [6]
    "Aghada Combined Cycle Power Plant, Ireland". Power Technology. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  7. [7]
    "Aghada Power Plant". www.askaboutireland.ie. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  8. [8]
    "ESB AGHADA GAS FIRED POWER STATION". European Investment Bank. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  9. [9]
    "Alstom and ESB inaugurate Aghada, Irelands highest efficiency Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP)" (Press release). Alstom. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  10. [10]
    "ESB to lodge planning permission for new gas-fired generator in Cork later this year". TheJournal.ie. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2023.


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