After four decades of coal-fired power generation, the ESB’s Moneypoint Power Station in County Clare has officially ceased burning coal, marking a key milestone in Ireland’s energy transition.
Effective today, the coal-fired units at Moneypoint will no longer operate as part of the country’s electricity market. However, the plant will remain on standby as a backup generator for national grid operator EirGrid, using heavy fuel oil instead of coal until 2029.
The move comes six months ahead of the original deadline and is part of ESB’s broader strategy to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions. While the switch from coal to oil still involves fossil fuel use, ESB notes that heavy oil is approximately 25% less carbon-intensive per unit of electricity generated than coal.
“This is a significant step in our transformation of Moneypoint into a renewable energy hub and in supporting Ireland’s climate ambitions,” ESB said in a statement. “The plant will now only be activated under instruction from EirGrid when there is a shortage of generating capacity.”
Moneypoint has played a critical role in Ireland’s electricity supply since it came online in the mid-1980s. Its three coal-fired units once delivered up to 915 MW of electricity—about one-quarter of the country’s total demand at its peak. But in recent years, its output has sharply declined as renewable sources and lower-carbon technologies have taken precedence.
The transition away from coal began in 2017, when ESB installed a 17 MW onshore wind farm at the site. In 2021, it announced the “Green Atlantic at Moneypoint” plan, a multi-billion-euro initiative aimed at transforming the facility into one of Ireland’s largest renewable energy hubs. A key component of this plan was completed in 2022 with the installation of the country’s first synchronous compensator, a zero-carbon system to support grid stability.
Until 2029, Moneypoint will function as a reserve generator, not participating in regular electricity market operations. Two new oil storage tanks with a combined capacity of 50,000 tonnes have been added to support this temporary role. ESB emphasizes that the plant’s oil-based operations will be limited to periods when grid reliability is at risk, particularly during winter months.
Despite its continued use of fossil fuels for backup, Moneypoint remains central to ESB’s long-term vision of a cleaner, secure energy future—bridging the gap as Ireland transitions fully to renewables.
