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Action 14. Peat Energy

Peat has a vital role to play in Ireland's energy policy, particularly for diversity and security of supply purposes but it also has significant spin-off effects of a social and regional nature in terms of employment, particularly in the Midlands region of Ireland. The Government is committed to the continued use of peat and electricity generation provided the costs are not excessive (DOPE 1998) and there is a considerable resource of peat remaining in the Midlands for this purpose.

The use of peat for electricity generation commenced in 1950, with the commissioning of a sod peat-fired station at Portarlington, Co. Laois. The first milled peat station was commissioned at Ferbane, Co. Offaly in 1957.

The contribution of peat to the electricity sector peaked in the early 1960's, when it provided just under 40% of the total power generated. By the early 1980's when the last of the peat-fired units, Lanesboro, was brought on stream, the contribution from peat had fallen to approximately 18%. Currently peat produces around 10% of the Republic of Ireland's electricity requirements.

In the aftermath of the first oil crisis in 1973, on the direction of the Government, Bord na Móna embarked on a major capital programme to acquire and prepare bogs for development. They currently produce peat from 85,000ha of peatlands in the Midlands and west of Ireland producing 3.5million tonnes of milled peat and 41,000 tonnes of sod peat annually.

Currently there are six power stations generating electricity from peat.

Peat serves three energy markets i.e. milled peat for electricity generation, peat briquettes as a home heating fuel and sod turf as a home heating fuel.

With the exception of individuals who harvest sod turf as a home heating fuel, Bord na Móna is the sole producer and supplier of peat for energy purposes. While production and use of peat engenders additional costs as a fuel for electricity generation when compared to gas fired generation, peat harvesting nonetheless remains an important source of employment in the economically depressed Irish Midlands. In addition to the employment in the peat power plants, approximately 2,200 people are employed by Bord na Móna.

The opening of the Europeat 1 power station at Clonbullogue, Co. Offaly in 2000, raised a number of issues of concern regarding the use of peat for energy. Firstly, there is the obvious issue of the contribution of the combustion of peat to Ireland's total carbon emissions and the influence this will have on global warming. Ireland's commitment to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change the Kyoto Protocol places obligations on Government to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels by switching to alternative renewable energy sources and introducing downside energy management measures to conserve energy.

Secondly there was concern over the source of peat to supply the station. In this regard IPCC obtained a guarantee which was written into the operational contract of the Power Station, that no peat would be sourced form conservation worthy sites (NHAs and SACs).

Lastly was the issue of a rehabilitation and after use plan for the extensive 10,000ha peat supply area in Kildare and Offaly. Such a provision should have been proposed and agreed when the supply contracts were drawn up.

General Objective
That no further peatlands should be brought into industrial production and that carbon accumulating function should be restored on exploited sites.

IPCC has had a long history of consultation with the peat industry over the selection of sites used for the production of energy. We have encouraged the industry to take a responsible attitude to the selection of sites for development and have made recommendations on the after use of the exploited resource. IPCC were the only group to object and make recommendations on the development of the Europeat 1 power station in 1998. This achieved a number of successes and has set a precedent for future developments.

Actions
3.14.1 The peat industry should ensure that no peat for electricity generation comes from conservation worthy peatlands (NHAs and SACs).

3.14.2 Contractors supplying peat to new power stations should develop and publish after use plans for the areas being mined.

3.14.3 No further peatlands should be brought into energy production to avoid conflict with the Kyoto Convention on Climate Change.

3.14.4 A detailed rehabilitation and after use plan must be drawn up for each site currently in peat production.

3.14.5 In tandem with proposals for new power stations, detailed rehabilitation and after use plan should be drawn up for sites supplying peat to the power station units.

3.14.6 Government should work to ensure that alternative energy resources are developed to reduce the demand for peat in energy production.

3.14.7 Government should encourage citizens, industry and all sectors to increase energy efficiency by running awareness campaigns to save energy.

3.14.8 In areas where power stations are being closed, Government should make serious efforts to avoid long term unemployment by finding new uses for cutaway bogs.