The refinery

There is no inland gas refinery in the world. The cleaning terminal, a large combustion plant, is a huge project. It will require in excess of 120 MW power to operate. The power will come from burning off the uncleaned gas condensate, full of chemical nasties, such as oxides of carbon and nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, methane and ozone.

There are nine chimneys, four of them approximately 140 feet high. They will release carbon dioxide and methane equivalent to the global warming potential of 27,000 dairy cows. The Environmental Impact Study (EIS) from Enterprise Energy Ireland (EEI) notes two houses within a 2 km radius of the station. In fact, there are 16 houses.

Both the refinery and the pipeline are to be constructed on unstable bog land, Shell's plan to stabilise this involves mixing in cement to form a hard surface. This process has only ever had small field trials and lab tests and creates a reaction which produces the very toxic hexavalent chromium. There is no inland gas refinery in the world. There are nine chimneys, four of them approximately 140 feet high. They will release carbon dioxide and methane equivalent to the global warming potential of 27,000 dairy cows. The Environmental Impact Study (EIS) from Enterprise Energy Ireland (EEI) notes two houses within a 2 km radius of the station. In fact, there are 16 houses. In February 2002 the Planning Board’s senior inspector Kevin Moore opened the oral hearing to hear appeals against the planning permission. In April 2003 the planning board announced its decision to refuse planning permission. In his report Kevin Moore was heavily critical of the project underlining that the site chosen for the refinery, on a boggy hill surrounded by peoples’ homes was the wrong site:

"The proposed development of a large gas processing terminal at this rural, scenic and unserviced area on a boghill some 8km inland from the Mayo coastland landfall location, with all its site development work difficulties, public safety concerns, adverse visual, ecological and traffic impacts defies any rational of the term sustainability.
In my opinion, the current proposed site is unequivocally the wrong choice." [The Great Corrib Gas Controversy, pg 37]

Mr Moore recommended refusal of planning permission for the project on three grounds, threat to the sensitive and scenic location; the instability of the bog; and the risk of a major accident. After a meeting of An Bord Pleanála on 28th and 29th of April 2003 the Board refused planning permission but overturned two of Mr Moore’s grounds. Minister of State for Labour Affairs Frank Fahey announced that the project had been delayed on a “technicality”.