It seems increasingly unlikely that the Rhode peat-fired power plant which closed after a rupture in one of its boilers last May will reopen. Officially, a decision on recommissioning unit three, which was the last unit of the power station in commission at Rhode, will not be made before the end of September.
However, damage to the unit is said to be extensive and any recommissioning will depend on satisfactory safety levels being achieved as well as the cost of repairing the station, which is due to close in late 2003 or early 2004.
Following the boiler rupture last May, in which one man was seriously injured, two inquiries conducted by the Health and Safety Authority and the ESB were set up.
Because of the damage, however, it was five weeks before investigations could get under way in the furnace and neither the ESB nor the Health and Safety Authority will reopen the plant before they are convinced they know the reasons for the rupture and are assured it will not happen again.
Part of the problem relates to the age of the station. Rhode was built in the late 1950s/ early 1960s and the average lifespan of such a plant is about 20 years. The Rhode plant has been kept going by careful maintenance but at about 40 years old it is twice its normal lifespan. The 40 megawatt plant contributes about 0.7 per cent of the State's daily electricity requirement.
There is also the problem that the State is phasing out Rhode-style plants on environmental grounds and is to construct two new peat-burning plants at Shannonbridge, Co Offaly, and Lanesborough, Co Longford. These new plants have facilities to remove pollution from the smoke stacks.
Officially, the ESB says that before any decision is taken on the future operation of the plant, it is crucial to investigate fully the incident, so that all safety aspects are taken into consideration. The unit will not return to service unless it is safe to do so.
However, Government sources indicate that given the timescale for decommissioning the plant and establishing the cause of the recent incident, rebuilding and recommissioning before 2003 is unlikely.
Local councillors and Bord na Mona management were briefed and given a tour of the boiler at the end of July to update them on the state of the plant and the related safety issues. They were told no decision had yet been taken.