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Tag Archives: Moneypoint

ESB Announces New Multi-Billion Euro Green Energy Hub At Moneypoint

  A new floating offshore wind farm of 1,400MW will be developed off the coast of Clare as part of a multi-billion Euro transformation of Moneypoint Power Station into a green energy renewables hub, the ESB has announced. The ESB has already commenced work on transforming Moneypoint into a green energy hub, breaking ground on a new €50 million Sustainable System Support facility in the coming weeks. This Synchronous Compensator will be the largest of its kind in the world. The new plant will provide a range of electrical services to the electricity grid, which would previously have been supplied by thermal fired power stations. Its operation will enable higher volumes of renewables on the system. The transformation of the Moneypoint site will allow a range of renewable technologies to be deployed over the next decade with the capacity to power 1.6 million homes. In line with the Government’s ambition of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, ESB has stated …

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Decision needed on the future of Moneypoint

WITH West Clare’s tourism sector set for a difficult spell ahead, the future of Moneypoint is particularly critical to the region’s economy. Kilrush based county councillor Ian Lynch said that the slow progress in establishing what the future will hold is very frustrating. “The momentum has been taken out of the economy and we have spent years discussing how Moneypoint can be a key stimulus to it. There are several opportunities out there that we’re just not allowed to explore because the ESB aren’t willing to open the deepwater port. I think a couple of weeks ago the ESB said that the possibility of Moneypoint being shut down in the near future is becoming more likely. I don’t believe that because I do think it’ll always be there as a back-up, there would still be maintenance, but the amount of shifts would be minimal in the year. ESB management aren’t willing to open up the port for reuse, they’re talking …

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Scale of job losses ‘unprecedented’- Crowe

WITH jobs going in a number of companies in Clare, the county’s Mayor Cathal Crowe said the situation is unprecedented, at a special meeting of Clare County Council on Friday afternoon. “The recent announcement of job losses in Clare has been quite unprecedented. The loss of more than 500 jobs in Molex, 240 jobs at Roche Clarecastle, potentially the loss of 114 jobs at Avara Pharmaceutical and the ongoing uncertainty at Moneypoint all has the potential to have a devastating impact on this county’s economy. There is also a knock-on effect, not yet known, for smaller businesses in the supply chain. We in Clare County Council must hold our counterparts in national government to account. On behalf of the workers and their families we must make a stand and demand the intervention and support of the government and other state agencies.” He added, “Parallels can be drawn between what County Clare is experiencing now and what the people of Limerick …

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Moneypoint workers urged to embrace ‘opportunity for survival’

WORKERS at Moneypoint have been warned that the only way the plant can remain viable as a coal burning station even until 2025 is if they quickly accept the terms being offered to them, which would see at least 106 employees made redundant. A letter, sent by station manager Seán Hegarty to the workers, warned that the plan must be in place in just over two months. “The survival plan for Moneypoint is time-bound and has a limited shelf life. If this survival plan is rejected, there is not sufficient time for another process to conclude in time for the October 31 deadline, when this Voluntary Severance Scheme is closed and in time for bidding costs into the T-1 and T-2 auctions that give us a chance of success later in the year. In the absence of this survival plan, the existing costs of Moneypoint are not sustainable and will not continue.” The letter, which is extremely frank, also stated, …

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Moneypoint workers likely to reject new proposals

WHILE a document is going to Moneypoint workers with proposals for major cost cutting, union members at the plant are very likely to reject it. It is understood that a general meeting of staff, with union officials attending, took place at the plant last Friday. A substantial document has been completed but one worker said that its contents are “just sh*te” from an employee’s perspective and that workers will not accept its terms. A ballot is due to conclude by early September but it is expected that these initial proposals will be rejected comprehensively. One of the major flaws in it, from the workers’ perspective, is a perceived lack of clarity about how people would be selected for redundancy. The ESB plans to lay off around 106 workers later this year, retaining just 86. However, there are fears that under the current document, people who wish to stay could be made compulsorily redundant and people who would like to avail …

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Moneypoint redundancies timeline ‘unrealistic’ say shop stewards

IN a document sent by Moneypoint Shop Stewards to management, they claim that the goal of having the significant cost cutting, which involves over 100 redundancies at the West Clare plant, complete by October is “unrealistic”. They declined to attend a briefing as they claimed “there is not a complete range of options to be discussed.” Their email made four points; that they are of the view that there should be no compulsory redundancies, that maximum employment should be maintained at the plant, that terms and conditions for workers should be maintained, and that there should be a specific voluntary service scheme for Moneypoint. They stated that they are willing to engage with management, but need to have a situation where “a complete suite of options” has been communicated, in advance.   Owen Ryan

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Majority of Moneypoint jobs to be axed

SOURCES have told the Clare Champion that staff at the Moneypoint Power Plant have today been told that management wish to reduce its staffing level from 192 to 86. It had been widely expected that job losses would be announced at the plant today, while ESB representatives are set to meet Clare’s Oireachtas members later this week. The ESB issued a statement this evening, but declined to confirm how many staff they wish to make redundant. “Since its commissioning in 1985, Moneypoint Power Station has played a key role in supporting the national economy through the delivery of secure, reliable and affordable power.  However, in recent years Moneypoint has been operating in an increasingly competitive energy market, actively competing to sell power and competing in auctions to acquire capacity contracts for the plant.    “In addition, the growing volume of renewables in the market and the impact of carbon prices on the price of Moneypoint output, has meant that Moneypoint …

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Breaking-Major job losses at Moneypoint

IT is understood that workers at Moneypoint are today being informed of major job losses at the plant. When contacted this afternoon the ESB said that they will be making a statement, but that its employees must be briefed first.   More to follow…

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