The ESB is to announce on Friday that Moneypoint power station is to become a major base for renewable energy, in a plan that sees the building of a major offshore wind farm off the coast of Co Clare in partnership with Norwegian energy company Equinor. It will also be the location for the ESB’s first move into green hydrogen production with a view to exporting the fuel from its deep sea berth at the facility in the Shannon estuary. The announcement is a fillip for the midwest region as it ensures Moneypoint will be retained for decades to come, though it is due to cease coal burning by 2025. Once the ESB’s flagship generating facility, it has been used less in recent years due to greater availability of wind energy, though it remains critical to the grid as a back-up to overcome intermittency of supply and to provide power at times of high demand – especially in winter. Public-private partnership The partnership with Equinor (formerly Statoil) will see the 1.4 gigawatt (GW) offshore wind farm use floating technology built in two phases at a cost of more than €2 billion, with the first due for completion by 2030. When completed, its output is expected to produce enough energy to power 1.5 million households. Electricity produced by the offshore facility will also be used to generate hydrogen. https://www.irishtimes.com/business/energy-and-resources/moneypoint-power-station-to-become-major-base-for-renewable-energy-1.4532323