COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, November 14, 2011
QUESTION NO. 20
QUESTION: Councillor E. Tuffy
To ask the Manager if he will advise on the number of Planning Applications made since January 2009 for permission to carry out drilling projects to investigate for sources of Geothermal Energy, the number of Permissions granted, the number of Commencement Notices submitted to the Council in that period?
REPLY:
Since January 2009 only one planning application has been received regarding Geothermal Energy. This was granted planning permission on5th January 2011 and no commencement notice has been received to date in relation to this development. The details of the application are as follows:
Reg Ref: SD10A/0283
Location: Site 646, Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin.
Proposed development: Construction of a 4.5 MW geothermal electricity generation plant comprising a 9.5m high, 675sq.m. building; 2 x 4000m deep wells (production and injection); 3.51m high, 110sq.m. enclosure; external air cooling fans; underground water attenuation tank; 8 no. car parking spaces; formation of a new vehicular access and ancillary works including the erection of a 2.5m high boundary paladin fence; paving; hydrocarbon interceptor; ESB compound (2.6m high, 9sq.m.) and site development works within a planning application area of 3.5ha on a site previously granted planning permission for 2 no. light industrial buildings (Register Reference SD07A/0580). Temporary construction phase works to consist of a 42m high drilling rig mounted on a working pad, drilling mud circulation system (including an attenuation pond and drill cuttings storage area), covered water tank, 4 no. diesel generators, bunded diesel storage tank, cement silos; containerised compound for offices, canteen, workshops and portaloo toilets. An Environmental Impact Statement has been submitted in connection with this application.