ESB yet to decide on future of twin stacks at Poolbeg

The ESB has said no decision has been made on the future of the twin stacks at Poolbeg on Dublin Bay, following its announcement that the power station would be closed down within the next three years.

The 680-ft candy-striped twin chimney stacks were designed to minimise atmospheric pollution and were opened in 1971.

They are landmark features of the bay, but are not included in Dublin City Council's protected structures list.

Last week, the ESB announced that as part of a deal with the energy regulator that will allow it to build a new power station in Aghada, Cork Harbour, it would have to close power stations with a total capacity of 1,300 megawatts by 2010.

The stations marked for closure are the Marina plant in Cork, Great Island in Wexford, Tarbert in Kerry and part of the Poolbeg plant in Dublin.

Poolbeg comprises two separate plants; the three thermal units which include the stacks; and the combined cycle gas plant, which opened in 2000 and will remain in operation.

It is the only power station on the ESB system which is operated on two fuel sources, oil and gas, and stands on 90 acres, most of which was reclaimed from the sea.

It takes its name from the Poolbeg lighthouse.

A spokesman for the ESB said a decision on the stacks was not likely to be made until after the plant is shut down.

"Whenever we close we will vacate the site and a decision will be made after that," he said.

He said that suggestions in the press that the power station might be sold, along with the three other plants, to other operators in the market, was purely speculative.

"The board has approved the closures only, no decision has been made on selling on," he said.

He also disparaged suggestions that the closure of the plants could lead to problems with security of electricity supply and said supply was a matter for the regulator and Eirgrid, an independent body that manages the grid.

"It is up to the regulator to time when we can close the plants," he said. "The ESB is not in the business of closing down plants if it means power cuts."

He pointed out that work has started on the new Aghada plant, while Viridian's second plant at its Huntstown site in Co Dublin, is due to start producing electricity at the end of this year.