List of power stations in Northern Ireland

This is a list of electricity-generating power stations in Northern Ireland, sorted by type and name, with installed capacity (May 2011).

Note that the Digest of United Kingdom energy statistics (DUKES) maintains a comprehensive list of United Kingdom power stations, accessible through the Department of Energy and Climate Change here.

Name Operator Location Type Capacity (MW) Commissioned Closed
Ballylumford A AES Corporation Islandmagee, County Antrim Coal 660 1943 1974
Ballylumford B AES Corporation Islandmagee, County Antrim gas/oil/OCGT 656 1968 -
Ballylumford C AES Corporation Islandmagee, County Antrim CCGT 616 2003 -
Kilroot power station AES Corporation Kilroot, County Antrim Oil/Coal 662 1981 -
Gruig RES-Gen Ltd Loughguile, County Antrim Wind 25 2009 -
Coolkeeragh power station Coolkeeragh ESB Ltd Derry, County Londonderry CCGT 408 2005 -
Slieve Divena Infinis Windfarm* Garvaghy, County Tyrone Wind 30 2009 -
Lendrum's Bridge RES-Gen Ltd Fintona, County Tyrone Wind 13 2000 -
Altahullion RES-Gen Ltd Limavady, County Londonderry Wind 26 2003 -
Altahullion2 RES-Gen Ltd Limavady, County Londonderry Wind 12 2007 -
Lough Hill RES-Gen Ltd Drumquin, County Tyrone Wind 8 2007 -
Bessy Bell 1 E.On UK Newtownstewart, County Tyrone Wind 5 1995 -
Bessy Bell 2 E.On UK Newtownstewart, County Tyrone Wind 9 2008 -
Bin Mountain Airtricity Benaughlin Mountain, County Fermanagh Wind 9 2007 -
Tappaghan Airtricity Lack, County Fermanagh Wind 29 2005 -
Callagheen Scottish Power Belleek, County Fermanagh Wind 17 2006 -
Corkey Scottish Power Cloughmills, County Antrim Wind 5 1994 -
Elliots Hill Scottish Power Ballyclare, County Antrim Wind 5 1995 -
Rigged Hill Scottish Power Limavady, County Londonderry Wind 5 1994 -
Wolf Bog Scottish Power Ballyclare, County Antrim Wind 10 2008 -
SeaGen Marine Current Turbines Strangford Lough, County Down Tidal 1.2 2008 -

*Joint venture with Scottish and Southern Energy

Nuclear power stations

There are no nuclear power stations in Northern Ireland and currently no plans to develop.

Tidal Power

Northern Ireland was home to the world's first commercially viable tidal stream generator.[1] Trials were begun in Scotland then in England, before Marine Current Turbines installed the thousand-tonne[2] SeaGen turbine at the mouth of Strangford Lough. The lough was chosen because it has one of the fastest tidal flows in the world. The installation went live and was connected to the grid in mid-December, 2008, injecting an extra 1.2 megawatts of electricity.[3]

The turbine is scheduled to produce power for five years, though Marine Current Turbines were reported to have asked for an extension beyond their 2013 contract.[4] By March 2010, the turbine had passed an operating time of over 1,000 hours - a first for any marine energy device.[4]

Impact to the environment was closely scrutinised.[2] The device, built in Belfast's famous Harland and Wolff shipyard, is rigged with a sonar device which stops the motion of the rotor blades when it detects marine lifeform near it. While there has been no negative affect to the environment - a special protected wildlife area - it has been noticed that porpoises stop communicating while passing the device.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "World tidal energy first for NI". BBC. 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
  2. 1 2 McDonald, Henry (2008-03-31). "Tidal power comes to Northern Ireland". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
  3. ↑ "Tidal energy system on full power". BBC. 2008-12-18. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
  4. 1 2 3 "Cold tides making water boil". BBC. 2010-03-15. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
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