Power from peat—more polluting than coal—is on its way out in Ireland
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/12/power-peat-more-polluting-coal-its-way-out-ireland
Source: By Emily Toner, Science Magazine.
Excerpt: ...the Corneveagh Bog in central Ireland ...has been drained and stripped of its moss and heather to reveal the rich, black soil beneath: peat. ...A long mound of peat, stripped and dried earlier in the season, is covered in plastic, waiting to be piled into rail cars and taken to a nearby power plant. There, the carbon-rich soil will be burned to generate electricity. But not for much longer, says Barry O'Loughlin, an ecologist employed by Bord na Móna, a state-owned peat harvesting and energy company based in Newbridge that owns Corneveagh Bog. Bord na Móna, which means "Peat Board," will soon retire dozens of bogs like Corneveagh from energy production. Its team of four ecologists will rehabilitate many of them by blocking drains, soaking the ground, and reestablishing plant life, O'Loughlin says as his boots crunch through the frosty soil. ...In Ireland, peat has been used for centuries to warm homes and fire whiskey distilleries. ...Peat power peaked in the 1960s, providing 40% of Ireland's electricity. But peat is particularly polluting. Burning it for electricity emits more carbon dioxide than coal, and nearly twice as much as natural gas. In 2016, peat generated nearly 8% of Ireland's electricity, but was responsible for 20% of that sector's carbon emissions. ...Behind the phaseout is Ireland's promise to the European Union to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% in 2020, compared with 2005 levels. ...Up to 430 jobs will be lost....
Source: By Emily Toner, Science Magazine.
Excerpt: ...the Corneveagh Bog in central Ireland ...has been drained and stripped of its moss and heather to reveal the rich, black soil beneath: peat. ...A long mound of peat, stripped and dried earlier in the season, is covered in plastic, waiting to be piled into rail cars and taken to a nearby power plant. There, the carbon-rich soil will be burned to generate electricity. But not for much longer, says Barry O'Loughlin, an ecologist employed by Bord na Móna, a state-owned peat harvesting and energy company based in Newbridge that owns Corneveagh Bog. Bord na Móna, which means "Peat Board," will soon retire dozens of bogs like Corneveagh from energy production. Its team of four ecologists will rehabilitate many of them by blocking drains, soaking the ground, and reestablishing plant life, O'Loughlin says as his boots crunch through the frosty soil. ...In Ireland, peat has been used for centuries to warm homes and fire whiskey distilleries. ...Peat power peaked in the 1960s, providing 40% of Ireland's electricity. But peat is particularly polluting. Burning it for electricity emits more carbon dioxide than coal, and nearly twice as much as natural gas. In 2016, peat generated nearly 8% of Ireland's electricity, but was responsible for 20% of that sector's carbon emissions. ...Behind the phaseout is Ireland's promise to the European Union to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% in 2020, compared with 2005 levels. ...Up to 430 jobs will be lost....