Portlaoise waste energy plans stall as Laois council looks for more info

Plans for a new Bord na Mona processing plant on the outskirts of Portlaoise have been put on hold, with Laois County Council requesting extensive additional information from the applicant before any planning decision is reached.

There is widespread condemnation of the plans by the State body to build its first anaerobic digester gas plant in Portlaoise, which if approved would see waste products not just from the rest of Ireland but other European countries as well being brought to the area.

The proposed site for the new plant is at the Coolnamona boglands, Togher at the Mountrath Road, Portlaoise just off the Junction 18 interchange on the M7 motorway.

It is estimated that 20 deliveries from food trucks would be needed per day to feed the demand to create enough gas, while a by-product fertiliser will be stored in a container during the year for up to 39 weeks until farmers need it to spread on crops.

The council has already received hundreds of submissions from residents and concerned groups objecting to the plans, and the council has sent a 16-page document to the applicant requesting a wealth of additional information.

The council has asked what percentage of biogas to the national grid will it supply and how will it aid Ireland in achieving National Policy Objectives.

The applicant must state how the development is in accordance with a number of local policies, covering everything from peat development, traffic and transport, parking, water quality, pollution, etc.

The council has also asked what is meant by “decarbonising” domestic heating in Ireland, saying “this term is considered to be vague”. Questions have also been raised over why other potential sites have been discounted in favour of this and how the applicant has arrived at its proposal for 80,000 tonnes per annum.

In addition, TII state that the proposed development would adversely affect the operation and safety of the national road network and the applicant must consider this.

No confirmation of feasibility with Irish Water has been submitted and justification is needed for the proposed hours of 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Saturday.

More information on biodiversity is needed, as well as air quality, odour monitoring, and emission limit values for discharges to surface water during construction and operational phases.

The applicant must also address the concerns raised in the many third party submissions lodged by concerned residents and community groups objecting to the plans.