An Bórd Pleanála will not hold an oral hearing on the planning application for a liquefied natural gas terminal in North Kerry.
Shannon LNG Ltd, a subsidiary of New Fortress Energy, applied to An Bórd Pleanála for permission to build a power plant on the Tarbert/Ballylongford landbank in August 2021.
An Bórd Pleanála is still considering the application, having twice delayed the due date of its decision.
The planning application proposes to develop a liquefied natural gas terminal, including a floating storage and regasification unit and onshore receiving facilities on the 52-hectare site in North Kerry.
An Bórd Pleanála has now confirmed that that having considered the case, it’s decided to determine the application without an oral hearing.
The Board says it has absolute discretion to hold an oral hearing, but has concluded that this case can be dealt with adequately through written procedure.
Shannon LNG has now been contacted by An Bórd Pleanála to respond to submissions made on the application, and this information will then be passed on to the Board for a final decision to be made.
Planning was first granted 16 years ago for a liquefied natural gas terminal on the Tarbert Ballylongford landbank, but this permission expired.
This followed delays to the project relating to regulatory matters, planning objections, and a controversy over the funding of interconnector pipes from the UK to transport gas.
Opponents to the current application say gas is a fossil fuel, would increase carbon emissions, and would use fracked gas from the United States.
Shannon LNG has said that the proposed development is not dependent on fracked gas, that it is confident that it can source gas from non-fracked sources and that most LNG in the world is not sourced from fracked gas.
The company was recently awarded a state contract to provide electricity to the grid using the North Kerry terminal, should it be granted planning permission.
Fine Gael councillor Michael Foley says it’s time the Board made a decision as soon as possible, as it has been long enough going through the process.
