The ESB coal-fired station at Moneypoint, Co Clare and its six peat stations, mainly located in the midlands, should be considered for closure in order to reduce carbon emissions, an energy conference has been told.
Mr Tim Denne, from the Oxford-based consultancy, Environmental Resources Management (ERM), told an IBEC conference on business and the Kyoto Protocol that, if the stations were closed, it would mean dramatic reductions in carbon emissions.
He said they should be replaced by gas stations, which produce significantly fewer emissions.
It is estimated that closing Moneypoint and replacing it with a gas station would cost at least £250 million.
ERM is the consultancy which recently produced a report on reducing greenhouse gases for the Department of the Environment. Under EU agreements based on the Kyoto protocol, the Republic has agreed to limit the increase in emissions to 15 per cent by 2010. The ESB has described this as "a major strategic issue for the economy". Moneypoint is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions in the State.
A spokesman for the ESB would not comment on the future of Moneypoint or the peat stations, but said the company favoured greater moves towards gas and renewable forms of energy.
However, he said, concentrating on one energy source could be dangerous and "security of supply" issues had to be considered.
Ms Rosemary Steen, assistant director, trade and industry affairs, at IBEC told the conference that the cost of meeting the Kyoto protocol could run to £1.5 billion. She said meeting the protocol would mean building a new gas inter-connector to Britain, establishing further renewable energy sources and making additional energy efficiencies.
"The sooner everyone is aware of the options facing us and the cost involved, the sooner we can begin the difficult task of choosing the best policy options for Ireland," said Ms Steen. She said IBEC was in favour of a system where emissions were traded between companies throughout Europe.
The Minister of State for Energy, Mr Joe Jacob, said: "Clearly some difficult decisions will be required." He said a workshop was to be established to analyse the recommendations in the ERM report. However, he did not outline what "energy responses" the Government favoured.
Mr Donal Enright, from the Department of the Environment and Local Government, said the fastest increase in carbon emissions came from the transport and energy sectors. He said measures advocated by the Dublin Transportation Initiative would help to reduce transport emissions; projects like Luas could also make a contribution.
