World’s largest peat-fired station

The West Offaly Power Station at Shannonbridge, County Offaly, Ireland, has been officially opened by the Irish Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen TD. Foster Wheeler's Finnish subsidiary, Foster Wheeler Energia Oy, was the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor and boiler supplier for the plant.

The new power station is the largest peat-fired station in the world and represents an investment of more than €240 million by the Irish state-owned Electricity Supply Board (ESB). It replaces an existing peat-fired power station operating on the site since 1965.

Foster Wheeler was also the EPC contractor and boiler supplier for ESB's Lough Ree power station at Lanesboro, Ireland, which was inaugurated in April. The two new plants are part of the same program of peat generation modernisation.

Both plants use Foster Wheeler's circulating fluidised-bed (CFB) boiler technology, designed for burning low-calorific-value fuel, such as peat, other biomass fuels, low-grade coals, and petroleum cokes in an efficient and environmentally friendly way.

Due to its higher efficiency, the new plant produces more electricity for the same fuel input as older plants. Modern emission control equipment will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and particulates significantly below existing peat plants.