Communities host meetings across south Cork after incinerator plans are revived

Communities around Cork harbour are holding local meetings to organise themselves against a reactivated proposal for the construction of an incinerator, which is currently before An Coimisiún Pleanala (ACP).

Belgian firm Indaver is seeking permission to develop Ringaskiddy Resource Recovery Centre, comprising a waste-to-energy facility, including a waste incinerator with energy recovery.

The proposal is a reactivation of one which was originally lodged in 2016, and which was granted permission by the planning appeals board. However, by order of the High Court on June 1 2022, the permission was quashed and remitted back to the appeals board on January 8 2024.

Due to the passage of time since the initial submission, ACP asked Indaver to submit documents including updated environmental impact statement and Natura impact statement.

Indaver has since provided “significant further information” to ACP which states that the projected spend on the facility has increased to €200m. When it was initially granted permission, the project was estimated to cost €160m and would have the capacity to treat up to 240,000 tonnes of waste per annum.

The new planning documentation states that, if permission is granted, “it is expected to be operational in 2030”, and that the facility will bring 320 construction jobs, and 63 jobs when operational.

The report states that 21mw of electricity will be generated, of which up to 18.5mw will be exported to the national grid, which it says “will be enough to supply the power needs of approximately 30,000 homes”, while the remaining 2.5mw will be used to run the facility itself.

Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (CHASE) has been opposing the development since its initial proposal, and recently held a meeting in Crosshaven Community Hall which was attended by concerned locals, as well as both county and city councillors.

Meetings will be held in Carrigaline, Cobh and Ringaskiddy this week and next week. There will be a meeting on Thursday October 30 in Carrigaline Community Centre at 8.15pm, one on Wednesday November 5 at 7.30pm in Cobh (Great Island) Community Centre and one on Thursday, November 6 at 7.30pm in Ringaskiddy Community Centre.

CHASE chairperson Mary O’Leary said: “Communities around the harbour share a clear vision for this area — one focused on education, research and clean jobs.

“This vision aligns the specific objective for the site in the Cork County Development Plan, and with Fáilte Ireland’s plans for a world-class Cork harbour experience, as part of the integrated Cork City, Harbour and East Cork Development Plan announced in 2024.

“A large commercial waste incinerator on the edge of a stony beach in the heart of the harbour has no place in that plan. Communities are now asking: ‘what can we do?’

The issue was also raised at Cork County Council’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, with Sinn Féin’s Eoghan Fahy saying that the local community were not happy about the plans.

“Communities have shown we don’t want an incinerator of this size,” he said, and asked what power the council had to represent the views of their constituents on this.

A Cork County Council spokesperson reminded members that the proposal was now a live application with the planning commission, saying: “We are not aware at this stage if we are going to be invited to contribute as part of the process.”

Fianna Fáil’s Audrey Buckley said it was “upsetting to see this raise its ugly head again”, and said that Ringaskiddy was “the wrong location” for a development like this.

Independent councillor Peter O’Donoghue agreed that there was “lots of concern” on the issue, encouraging councillors to make submissions, saying: “This is about the future of Cork Harbour.”

Submissions by ACP end November 17.