Shannon LNG Ltd received approval from An Coimisi\u00fan Plean\u00e1la in March 2025 to develop the power plant on the landbank but a judicial review against the proposal was brought by the environmental group Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE).<\/p>\n
The power plant appeal was successful after two judicial reviews, which those in favour of the project hope will be the final obstacle towards establishing an LNG facility in north Kerry. This is currently before An Coimisi\u00fan Plean\u00e1la awaiting a decision<\/p>\n
Cllr Michael Foley said he wants the national planning group to make its decision \u2018as soon as possible\u2019 saying approval for the 600-megawatt power plant is a positive development for the region.<\/p>\n
Those in favour of LNG believe it has the potential to support local employment, investment, and ensure a more stable energy supply, especially in the current climate of global energy insecurity while contributing to Ireland\u2019s broader energy strategy.<\/p>\n
Cllr Foley believes the High Court decision is a significant milestone, confirming that the planning and environmental assessments are robust, meet all legal requirements and demonstrates the strength and quality of the environmental analysis, particularly around sensitive issues like habitat protection.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso, it is encouraging that the court acknowledged the efficiency of the plant design and the role it can play in displacing more carbon-intensive energy sources,\u201d Cllr Foley said.<\/p>\n
He said the LNG project had been \u2018exhausted to infinitum\u2019, a view shared by Justice Richard Humphreys who noted in his summary that it is one of the most \u2018thoroughly litigated projects\u2019 in recent times \u2013 this is the seventh written decision relating \u2018in one way or another\u2019 to the project.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile this judgment relates to the power plant, it also provides important clarity that strengthens the LNG terminal currently under consideration,\u201d Cllr Foley added.<\/p>\n
Fine Gael Senator Mike Kennelly said the fact the 600-megawatt power plant has withstood two judicial reviews demonstrates the strength of the project. He insisted that attention must now turn to the pending decision on the LNG terminal,<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter years of scrutiny and analysis, it is essential that we move forward without further unnecessary delay,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Senator Kennelly expressed his appreciation to all those who have supported the project over the years, saying the region is now \u2018almost there\u2019 in securing critical energy infrastructure for the future.<\/p>\n
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Michael Healy-Rae also welcomed the latest developments, saying it is timely for north Kerry and Ireland in an age of energy uncertainty due to global forces.<\/p>\n
\u201cNorth Kerry has a proud industrial and energy heritage, and this development can play a central role in its future. It is essential that we maximise the potential of the Shannon Estuary as a hub for strategic investment, job creation and long-term economic growth,\u201d Minister Healy-Rae said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shannon LNG Ltd received approval from An Coimisi\u00fan Plean\u00e1la in March 2025 to develop the power plant on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":382387,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[72,61,60,16585],"class_list":["post-382386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-stephen-fernane"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=382386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/382386\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/382387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=382386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=382386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=382386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}