Rhode Power Station

Rhode Power Station is a 104 MW gas/oil fired peaker plant situated beside the village of Rhode in County Offaly, Ireland. It replaced a 80 MW peat fueled power station operated by ESB that was decommissioned in 2003.

Rhode Power Station
CountryRepublic of Ireland
LocationCounty Offaly
Coordinates53.35922°N 7.2123°W / 53.35922; -7.2123
StatusOperational
Commission date2004
Owner(s)
Operator(s)SSE Thermal
Thermal power station
Primary fuelNatural gas
Secondary fuelDistillate oil
Turbine technologyGas turbine
Power generation
Units operational52 MW (Unit 1)
52 MW (Unit 2)
Nameplate capacity104 MW

Current operations

The current power station commenced commercial operation in 2004 and is currently operated by SSE Thermal. SSE acquired the plant from Endesa along with three other operational assets (Tarbert, Great Island and Tawnaghmore) when they agreed to buy shares of Endesa Ireland for a total consideration of €320m.[1]

The plant comprises two 52 MW gas/oil-fired open cycle unit turbines. Its principal function is to help maintain the security of electricity supply in Ireland's all-island Single Electricity Market (SEM) by being available to operate on quick response to peaks in national energy demand.[2]

Rhode Generating Station (ESB)

Rhode Generating Station was situated in the midlands, about eighteen miles outside of Tullamore, County Offaly. It was constructed as part of the Peat Development Programme in the 1960s, and was considered to be the most efficient of Ireland's five peat generating stations.[3]

Construction work at Rhode station began in 1958,[4] at a time when the Government placed a strong emphasis on the development of the country's native resources.[5] At the same time, demands for industry were beginning to grow as the country finally began to emerge from a lengthy and crippling economic slowdown. As a result of the Rural Electrification Scheme, many parts of Ireland were beginning to benefit from easier access to electricity.[6] Rhode was a part of a new generation of power stations, using milled peat as opposed to sod peat, The station was built on a 70-acre site, chosen for its proximity to both a large supply of peat, and a good source of water from the Yellow River.

The station was complete in two separate developments: 'A' station in 1960 and 'B' station in 1963. The first station consisted of two 190,000 pounds of steam per hour boilers, driving two 20 MW turbo-alternator units and the second station consisted of a single boiler with an output of 380,000 pounds of steam per hour and a 40 MW turbo-alternator.[7] Milled peat was supplied by Bord na Móna from local production, and transported to the station by narrow-gauge railways.[8] Wagons, each containing 5 tonnes, were emptied automatically by the tippler and the peat was then transported by conveyor belt to the bunkers at a rate of 2,000 tonnes per day. At its peak in the 1980s and 1990s, the station burned 450,000 tonnes of peat annually, to generate 300 million kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Rhode Generating Station was decommissioned in 2003 and demolished in 2004.[9]

References
  1. "Scottish Southern Energy to acquire four Irish power plants". Power Technology. 17 June 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  2. "Rhode | SSE Thermal". www.ssethermal.com. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  3. "Rhode". ESB Archives. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  4. "Constructing Rhode Station, 1958". ESB Archives. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  5. "Rhode Generating Station PR Pamphlet, 1990s" (PDF).
  6. "And then there was light: Electrification in rural Ireland – The Irish Story". Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  7. "Rhode Generating Station PR Pamphlet, 1970s" (PDF).
  8. "Rhode Generating Station PR Pamphlet, 1980s" (PDF).
  9. "Rhode power station towers tumble". Irish Examiner. 16 March 2004. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
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