Tipperary TD welcomes news that talks on Silvermines hydro-electric plant are under way

The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications has confirmed that it has begun talks with the backers of the €650m hydro-electric storage pump facility at Silvermines.

The project at the former Magcobar mine is being driven by local man Darren Quinn of Siga-Hydro Ltd, ChinaPower and Bord na Móna.

The news has been welcomed by local Labour Party TD Alan Kelly, who raised the issue in a Parliamentary Question before the Dáil.

“I’m delighted to confirm that Minister Eamon Ryan’s departmental officials have begun engagement with the stakeholders behind the Silvermines hydro-electric station. This is something I’ve been pushing for seven years,” he said.

Deputy Kelly said that was without doubt one of the most important projects in the country when it came solving the country’s future energy needs.

“I look forward to this engagement bearing fruit and would encourage the Government to engage in a public private partnership to get it commenced as quickly as possible,” he said.

Last week, Deputy Kelly confirmed that the project was to form part of the Government’s plan for future energy security, and the Minister said in his reply to the Parliamentary Question: "The Government considers that the Silvermines pumped hydro project has the potential to make an important contribution to power generation decarbonisation and security of supply on the island of Ireland.

"To that end, officials in my Department have been engaging with the stakeholders behind the project.”

The plan will see water pumped from an existing pond at the base of the Silvermines to a second newly-constructed storage facility at the top of the mountain.

The water will the be released overnight to generate enough electricity to power 200,000 homes.