Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SAVE £50M.. BUT LOSE JOBS
Shock as Kilroot faces closure & Ballylumford hit in electricity shake-up
ELECTRICITY customers here will save £50million a year as part of a shake-up which is threatening almost 300 jobs.
The Kilroot plant in Co Antrim faces closure in May with the loss of 240 posts after its owners confirmed it missed out on a contract to produce electricity for an island-wide wholesale market.
A further 30 jobs are threatened by a lost deal at neighbouring Ballylumford following a supply auction which unions branded disastrous for workers.
The systems operator responsible for ensuring supply said it was confident sufficient and secure energy would be provided at the lowest possible cost.
Utility regulator Jenny Pyper said the auction was a significant milestone. She added: “Sufficient capacity has been secured through the auction to ensure security of supply in Northern Ireland.”
Ms Pyper said the total of megawatts available far exceeded peak demand.
She added: “We are concerned not only with security of supply but also that consumers only pay for generation that is actually required.
“Indeed, the auction outcome ensures there will be savings of around £50million per annum for Northern Ireland electricity consumers.”
Unite the Union represents many of those whose jobs may go and regional officer Joanne Mcwilliams said she was shocked and angered.
She added: “This decision effectively shuts down 36% of Northern Ireland’s electrical generation capacity.
“Such an outcome will be a disaster for local jobs and security of supply. Union representatives are calling on local politicians and the UK Government to intervene in the decision of the all-island regulatory authorities and transmission system operators not to award Capacity Market Remuneration contracts to the units.”
Kilroot’s owners AES confirmed the two generation units at the site are expected to close when the single electricity market commences on May 23, with the Ballylumford generation unit expected to shut on December 31.
AES UK & Ireland president Ian Luney said: “With the likely absence of any significant and reliable new generation in the next four years and a North-south interconnector that isn’t expected to come online until 2021, we are concerned the removal of capacity at Kilroot and Ballylumford could contribute to a significant risk to the security and stability of supply in Northern Ireland.”
Assembly member Stewart Dickson said: “Kilroot is a key part of the economy and the decisions around the energy auction seem premature and potentially counter-productive.”
Meanwhile, North Antrim DUP MP Ian Paisley said the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is to investigate issues surrounding the proposed closure of Kilroot.
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