Local air quality to benefit from gas turbine plans
7 March 2024
There was positive news for the local environment today as Derry City and Strabane’s District Council’s Planning Committee granted approval for plans to replace a coal fired boiler plant in the Maydown area.
The existing plant and associated infrastructure will be replaced with a cleaner gas-powered turbine system at Maydown Works on Clooney Road. Members were told that the existing coal fired boiler would be decommissioned and substituted with three back up gas boilers, two gas powered engines, a gas receiving station, electrical room, heat recovery steam generator, engine and boiler exhaust stacks, deaerator and associated infrastructure.
The committee heard that the development would have significant environmental benefits for the local area, with 50,000 metric tonnes of CO2 removed annually through the conversion to natural gas.
By transitioning the Maydown site from solid fuel power plant to gas, The LYCRA Company will remove the need for more than 45,000 tonnes of coal per year, as part of their commitment to creating a more sustainable global manufacturing footprint and supply chain.
Welcoming the decision today, Chair of Council’s Planning Committee, Councillor Sean Mooney said it was another step in the journey towards a more sustainable future. “This is fantastic news for the Campsie area and a decision that will have a positive and lasting impact on the local environment. By changing to a cleaner fuel alternative, air quality will be significantly improved locally, to the benefit of both local residents and local wildlife.
“I want to commend Maydown Works for their commitment to exploring the use of more environmentally friendly technologies and lower carbon forms of energy. All businesses have a responsibility to reduce the impact of their activities on the environment, and this is a great example which I hope other companies will follow.”
The plans follow significant public engagement in the area, where the response to the turbine was generally positive.