Green light for gas plant compound at Crossdoney animal rendering facility

APPEAL An Bord Pleanála upholds planning permission

A local animal rendering operation has been granted permission to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant following an appeal to An Bord Pleanala by An Taisce, albeit with revised conditions attached.

Farragh Proteins was given planning permission by Cavan County Council in October 2020 for the development, together with installing two 131 cubic metre horizontal tanks and two associated ambient vaporisers at its facility at Legaland and Monnery Upper, Crossdoney.

The proposed LNG plant will replace the Liquid Petroleum Gas as the primary source of fuel used for the operation.

The plans also provided for the construction of a regulation station, electrical control room and all other associated ancillary site works.

A new service road, site boundaries, landscaping and site development works were also sanctioned.

Cavan County Council signalled its intention to grant planning permission with 21 conditions before An Taisce appealed the decision to the planning appeals board, which published its decision last month.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media were also listed as “observers” to the An Taisce appeal.

An inspector from An Bord Pleanála, Brendan Coyne, inspected the Legaland and Monnery Upper site in June 2022.

During the initial planning process reports were submitted in April 2020, followed by a request for further information, and a second report in September of that year. Other technical reports were also submitted.

An Taisce claimed that Farragh Proteins failed to assess the climate impacts of the proposed burning of LNG and the possible emissions generated by the sourcing and processing of that gas.

It disputed Farragh Proteins’ assertion that LNG is a ‘clean’ or ‘low carbon fossil fuel’, and claimed that “methane leakage” is a severe side effect of LNG processing.

An Taisce pointed to where, in July 2019, An Bord Pleanála refused permission for the continued operation of the Co Offaly Shannonbridge peat power plant with progressive bio-mass co-firing on a range of grounds, including inadequate assessment of the direct and indirect impacts of continued peat extraction from the supply bogs identified.

The environmental charity’s ultimate argument was that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening should be undertaken before the project is granted approval.

In his assessment the Bord appointed inspector stated he was “satisfied” that an examination of the potential impacts had been analysed and evaluated using the best scientific knowledge.

“Where potential significant effects on Natura 2000 sites have been identified, key design features and mitigation measures have been prescribed to remove risks to the integrity of the European sites” to include the nearby Lough Oughter Complex and Lough Oughter and Associated Loughs SAC.

As a result Mr Coyne recommended that permission is granted subject to a new set of nine conditions to include that Farragh Proteins ensure that all “mitigation measures” are complied with, and written agreement is sought from Cavan County Council on details of the proposed LNG platform and bund design.

An “odour management plan” to include a “monitoring programme” must be put in place, and the nature and extent of the plan and the monitoring sites will have to be agreed with the local authority prior to construction.

Construction of the new LNG plant can only take place between 8am-7pm Monday to Friday, and otherwise must receive written approval from the council.