ESB built the power plant at a cost of EUR360m and also spent an additional EUR75m upgrading the four existing generating units on the site, which have a combined generating capacity of 528MW. The Aghada site has now power generating capacity of 963MW.
ESB claims that the combined cycle gas turbine generating plant is the lowest electricity emitter of carbon from any conventional power station in Ireland. It was built by the French engineering company Alstom Power and construction began in October 2007.
Padraig McManus, chief executive of ESB, said: “The challenge for all energy market participants is to deliver clean, safe and cost-effective electricity to our customers. The Aghada plant, built by one of the world’s leading engineering companies, does all of this.
“We now look forward to the opening of competition in all sectors of the electricity industry because value to the customer must lie at the heart of every strand of our business planning. ESB is ready to meet that challenge.”
