Quinn Group, which employs 6,500 people globally, has applied to An Bord Pleanála to build a 450 megawatt combined cycle gas turbine in Co Louth, which it says will help meet future demand for power generation.
It is part of a projected €1 billion investment by the group in energy projects in the next eight to 10 years.
It already has a number of wind farms in Ireland and has a similar power plant proposal for the west of Ireland.The 14-acre site at Toomes is in a rural part of Louth and is close to both a 220kv connection to the national grid and the North-South interconnector gas pipeline.
According to a spokesman the plant will be able to supply some 230,000 homes and will satisfy 8 per cent of national peak demand.
It will be sold for supply to the national grid. The application has been made to An Bord Pleanála as the plant falls into the category of a strategic infrastructure development under the Planning and Development Act. A decision on whether to grant permission is due next March.