Two gas storage plans are presented to the public
TWO companies each with plans to store natural gas near Larne are consulting widely at present.
Last week, Storengy, a Franco-Irish conglomerate, staged an exhibition in the Highways Hotel to explain its proposal for storage in underground salt caverns and this weekend Islandmagee Storage Ltd sets out its plans for a similar venture under Larne Lough.
Portland Gas plc and Northern Ireland Energy Holdings (NIEH), the partners in Islandmagee Storage, will stage a two-day public exhibition to present information and invite feedback on a series of proposals for its multi-million pound venture.
The exhibition, which will run from 2.00-8.00pm tomorrow (Friday) and from 10.00am-4.00pm on Saturday in Second Islandmagee Presbyterian Church Hall, is intended to provide a platform for the project team to gather any views and ideas that key stakeholders and members of the public may have relating to the options being considered at this stage.
Dr Andrew Hindle, CEO of Portland Gas, explained: “Our seismic survey, undertaken in 2007, has given us an excellent picture of the geological structure of the area, confirming that the conditions deep below Larne Lough - at a depth of around 1,400 metres - are ideal for storing natural gas.
“Over the last few months our technical experts have been advancing designs for the storage caverns and further progress has been made on the environmental impact assessment relating to the proposed project.”
Stressing the importance of the project for Northern Ireland, executive director of NIEH, William Cargo, said: “The island of Ireland is increasingly dependant on natural gas for its energy supplies. This gas storage project will help to ensure the security of future gas supplies and have a positive influence on seasonal price fluctuations.”
This is the first of two public exhibitions that Islandmagee Storage Ltd intends to hold before submitting a planning application later this year. The follow-up event will be held in September to consult on preferred designs ahead of the submission of a planning application.
Storengy’s North East Storage scheme is very much in the formative stages. Stakeholders BGE (Northern Ireland) - a subsidiary of the Republic’s gas board - and French company GDF Suez say they do not know, for sure, that the salt deposits under the ground between Drains Bay and Glynn will be suitable for gas storage, but they are prepared to invest around 8 million to find out.
Storengy were at the Highways last week to show landowners their proposals for a 2D seismic survey, which is to be conducted mainly on agricultural land. Some 160 local landowners are being consulted at present.
The salt layers to be investigated are more than a mile underground and are, says the firm, “much, much deeper than the salt mines located elsewhere in the area”.
When the survey is complete, Storengy expects it will take several months to analyse the data and the company has given an assurance that: “Should the results prove favourable, no further activity will be undertaken until further consultation with all the stakeholders takes place, a detailed environmental statement is completed, suitable planning applications are lodged and various other permit and consent requirements are fulfilled.”
Storengy’s business plan is based on a complete lack of gas storage facilities on the island of Ireland. There is capacity to stockpile four per cent of gas required in Great Britain, and around 20 per cent in the US, which means gas consumers there are less exposed to fluctuations in the market price.
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Weather for Larne
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
