Rhode Power Station

{{Infobox power station

| name = Rhode Power Station

| image =

| image_caption =

| coordinates = {{coord|53.35922|N|7.2123|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| country = Ireland

| location = County Offaly

| status = Operational

| construction_began =

| commissioned = 2004

| cost =

| owner = {{Unbulleted list|ESB (1960-2009)|Endesa (2009-2012)|SSE Thermal (2012-)}}

| operator = SSE Thermal

| employees =

| ps_units_operational = {{val|52|u=MW}} (Unit 1)
{{val|52|u=MW}} (Unit 2)

| ps_units_manu_model =

| ps_electrical_capacity = {{val|104|u=MW}}

| ps_electrical_cap_fac =

| ps_annual_generation =

| th_fuel_primary = Natural gas

| th_fuel_secondary = Distillate oil

| th_fuel_tertiary =

| th_technology = Gas turbine

| ps_site_area =

| ps_site_elevation =

| ps_chimneys =

| ps_cooling_towers =

| ps_cooling_source =

| ps_feed-in_tariff =

| ps_revenue =

| ps_combined_cycle =

| ps_cogeneration =

| ps_trigeneration =

| ps_iwpp =

| ps_thermal_capacity =

| website =

}}

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

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.{{Cite web |date=2012-06-17 |title=Scottish Southern Energy to acquire four Irish power plants |url=https://www.power-technology.com/uncategorized/newsscottish-southern-energy-irish/ |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=Power Technology |language=en-US}}

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.{{Cite web |title=Rhode {{!}} SSE Thermal |url=https://www.ssethermal.com/flexible-generation/operational/rhode/ |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=www.ssethermal.com |language=en-US}}

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.{{Cite web |date=2016-03-01 |title=Rhode |url=https://esbarchives.ie/portfolio/rhode/ |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=ESB Archives |language=en-US}}

Construction work at Rhode station began in 1958,{{Cite web |date=2015-10-13 |title=Constructing Rhode Station, 1958 |url=https://esbarchives.ie/2015/10/13/constructing-rhode-station-1958/ |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=ESB Archives |language=en-US}} at a time when the Government placed a strong emphasis on the development of the country's native resources.{{Cite web |title=Rhode Generating Station PR Pamphlet, 1990s |url=https://esbarchives.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/rhode-3-pr-pamphlet.pdf }} 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.{{Cite web |title=And then there was light: Electrification in rural Ireland – The Irish Story |url=https://www.theirishstory.com/2021/06/07/and-then-there-was-light-electrification-in-rural-ireland/ |access-date=2023-02-11 |language=en-GB}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Rhode Generating Station PR Pamphlet, 1970s |url=https://esbarchives.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/rhode-pr-pamphlet.pdf }} Milled peat was supplied by Bord na Móna from local production, and transported to the station by narrow-gauge railways.{{Cite web |title=Rhode Generating Station PR Pamphlet, 1980s |url=https://esbarchives.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/rhode-2-pr-pamphlet.pdf }} 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.{{Cite web |date=2004-03-16 |title=Rhode power station towers tumble |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30138586.html |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=Irish Examiner |language=en}}

References

External links

[https://esbarchives.ie/portfolio/rhode/ ESB Archives: Rhode Generating Station]
[https://www.ssethermal.com/flexible-generation/operational/rhode/ SSE Thermal: Rhode Power Station]

Category:Natural gas-fired power stations in the Republic of Ireland