GE, Mytilineos to provide backup gas-fired power for Ireland

General Electric and Greece's Mytilineos have secured an order to build a 200-MW gas-fired power plant in Dublin that will serve as a backup source of electricity in the event that Ireland suffers shortages.

The construction, operation and maintenance contract was received from Ireland's electricity supply board. The station will be built at ESB's existing North Wall power plant, to provide backup power from next winter until 2026. It will be able to be brought online to full capacity within minutes, GE said in a statement on December 19.

The plant will be equipped with six GE LM2500XPRESS aero-derivative turbines, which are 95% factory assembled into simplified models for fast and simple installation, GE said. The company noted that the turbines could be installed in as little as two weeks using a relatively small crew.

Ireland is anxious to shore up its energy security, against the backdrop of the global energy crisis and the soaring cost of power. But it also wants to phase out the use of gas – at present its main source of power – as part of its energy transition plan, and rely instead on more renewables and later, low-carbon hydrogen.

GE said its turbines could run on blends of 35-50% hydrogen in the future with relatively small modifications.