Tarbert Power Station is an oil fired power station situated on the Shannon Estuary in Tarbert, County Kerry, Ireland. Construction commenced in October 1966 and the first block was commissioned in 1969.[1] The station comprises two 60 MW (Unit I and II) and two 250 MW oil fired steam turbines. It was the largest station of ESB during the 1980s. The plant was sold to Endesa in 2009, and subsequently to SSE in 2012. Until early 2022 it was scheduled for closure by the end of 2023. However, due to the 2021–2024 global energy crisis, Tarbert station will maintain operation for an indefinite amount of time, until enough low-carbon generating capacity will be available as a replacement.[2]
| Tarbert Power Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Location | Tarbert, County Kerry |
| Coordinates | 52°35′20″N 9°21′50″W / 52.589°N 9.364°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1966 |
| Commission date | 1969-09 (Unit 1) 1969-12 (Unit 2) 1976-04 (Unit 3) 1977-04 (Unit 4) |
| Construction cost | £55 million |
| Owners | ESB (1969-2009) Endesa (2009-2012) SSE Thermal (2012-) |
| Operator | SSE Thermal |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Fuel oil |
| Turbine technology | Steam turbine |
| Chimneys | 2 |
| Cooling source | Shannon Estuary |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 57 MW (Unit 1) 57 MW (Unit 2) 256 MW (Unit 3) 256 MW (Unit 4) |
| Make and model | General Electric |
| Nameplate capacity | 626 MW |
| Annual net output | 1222 GWh (2008) |
| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
In 2003 Tarbert was the site of an explosion that killed two workers and seriously injured another.[3] In September 2022 one boiler was damaged by a fire, which led to loss of half of block 3's generating capacity, 120 MW. The generator is expected to return to full capacity in February 2023.[4][needs update]
In 2023 plans emerged to replace the fuel-oil fired units by a new 350 MW Open cycle gas turbine Next Generation Power Station with one Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO)-fired unit. With planned construction begin in 2024, the new unit is scheduled for operation in 2026.[5]
Units:
| Unit | Capacity (MW) | Primary Fuel | Cycle | Boiler Type | Condenser Cooling | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TB1 | 54 | Heavy Fuel Oil | Condensing Steam Cycle | Drum | Water | disused |
| TB2 | 54 | Heavy Fuel Oil | Condensing Steam Cycle | Drum | Water | disused |
| TB3 | 241 | Heavy Fuel Oil | Condensing Steam Cycle | Once-through | Water | currently runs at half capacity due to damage by fire |
| TB4 | 243 | Heavy Fuel Oil | Condensing Steam Cycle | Once-through | Water | offline from April 2021 to Spring 2023 for maintenance |
References
edit- ^ "Tarbert". ESB Archives. March 2016.
- ^ "Tarbert Island and Moneypoint to remain operating for 'years to come'". Independent. 2022-02-05.
- ^ "ESB employees were engulfed in a fireball". Independent. 2004-09-09.
- ^ "Tarbert power station only returns to half capacity following fire". The Irish Times. 2022-10-17.
- ^ "Tarbert Next Generation Power Station".
