Shannon LNG

Shannon LNG is proposing to develop a Liquefied natural gas receiving terminal on the Shannon Estuary near Ballylongford and Tarbert in County Kerry to be built and operated by Shannon LNG Ltd, a company owned 50/50 by Hess LNG a subsidiary of the US multinational Hess Corporation and US hydrocarbons trading and transportation company Poten & Partners Inc.

Project

The site was originally owned by Shannon Development who have been courting a development for the site for many years owing to its sheltered location. In 2002, the natural gas Pipeline to The West was completed, crossing the Shannon 25 km from the site of the proposed terminal.

The project, the first LNG terminal in Ireland, is expected to cost €500 million. It will contain four insulated storage tanks of 200,000 cubic metres capacity and a regassification facility linked to the gas transmission system.

Planning and safety

As the project qualifies as strategic infrastructure under the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 and, consequently An Bord Pleanála and not Kerry County Council was the Planning Authority. The Kilcolgan Residents' Association and the Friends of the Irish Environment have lodged application for a judicial review of An Bord Pleanála's decision to approve the project on safety and environmental grounds.