An Taisce says a proposed €140 million electricity power station at the former Asahi plant in Killala, Co Mayo would be in contravention of a Government White Paper which aims to reduce Ireland's fossil fuel dependence.
In an appeal letter to An Bord Pleanála against planning permission granted to Mayo Power by the local authority for the power station at Tawnaghmore, An Taisce says Ireland is facing "enormous difficulty" in meeting its Kyoto emission cap "with emissions 26 per cent over 1990 levels".
An Taisce is one of four parties to lodge appeals to An Bord Pleanála against the proposed development. The others include Asahi Development Committee, Killala Community Council and Michael O'Donnell.
Calling the proposed power plant "unsustainable" - because of its reliance on peat and coal combustion for generation - An Taisce says Ireland is already extracting unsustainable levels of peat for energy production through Bord na Móna in plants at Edenderry and Shannonbridge in Co Offaly, and in Lanesborough in Co Longford.
It says Mayo Power's proposal to generate up to 35 per cent of its electricity from coal "is equally unsustainable on climate and emission impact" and, with Ireland being an island and fossil fuel dependent country, it is more exposed to adverse climate change impact than most other European countries. Because of our "existing high per capita emission generation" we need "to take an exemplary and international lead, both in mitigating national impacts and taking a lead campaign role internationally". An Taisce also says the proposal is in contravention of a Government White Paper - Delivering a sustainable energy future for Ireland - which aims to reduce fossil fuel dependence and increase renewable energy generation to 30 per cent by 2020.
Asahi Development Committee says it initially supported the application but is "disappointed" by conditions attached to the planning permission by Mayo County Council. The committee conducted a survey to re-assess public opinion which found that 360 people disagreed that the project was welcome in the area while 40 agreed and 30 offered "no opinion".
A concern is the proximity of the development to Killala Bay - an environmentally sensitive location - and the River Moy.
A sub-committee of Killala Community Council says it is pro-development and recognises that the Asahi site has great potential for a power generating plant given access to two 110kV lines and says the site would be an ideal location for a gas-fired power plant.
Killala Community Council says it welcomes the project but has concerns that an unavailability of timber and peat to service the proposed development would result in proposals being put forward for alternative fuels and the incineration of waste.
Supporters of the proposed power plant say it will create over 250 direct and indirect jobs in north Mayo, a region that has experienced population and economic decline.
A study, undertaken by Professor Séamus Caulfield on the most recent census figures, shows that Killala's population fell 12 per cent from 2003 levels.
