This week Pat Rabbitte TD, Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources and Paul Kehoe TD, Minister for State at the Department of Taoiseach, visited some of the 860 employees currently constructing our new €331m natural gas fuelled CCGT (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine) power plant at Great Island, Co. Wexford.
With the site now at peak activity the Ministers viewed progress on the installation and commissioning of the 460MW Mitsubishi gas powertrain, as well as the gas and electricity grid connections to the site. They also met workers on the project, including local contractor firms whose businesses have been sustained during turbulent economic times.
During their visit both Ministers remarked on the importance of SSE to the local economy. Around 70% of the 860-strong construction workforce is local to Co. Wexford and neighbouring counties Waterford and Kilkenny. Meanwhile, a further 50 full-time employees are working on the commissioning of the new Great Island plant, at the existing 240MW heavy fuel oil power station and at SSE’s 27MW Richfield Wind Farm at Bridgetown, Co. Wexford. Nearly all of these full-time SSE employees live locally in Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny.
Of further interest was the recently commissioned gas pipe line connecting to Great Island. This 41km and €43million investment, connects the County of Wexford to the gas grid for the first time. SSE’s investment in this regionally strategic infrastructure provides capacity to attract future industrial development to Co. Wexford.
The Ministers concluded their tour by meeting with local stakeholders who shared their very positive experiences of SSE’s role in their community. In addition to being a strong local employer, SSE has invested around €500,000 in community projects around Great Island. This includes energy efficiency where we are retrofitting 87 homes with cavity and wall insulation in partnership with the local authority.
One of the standout observations by Ministers Rabbitte and Kehoe was SSE’s commitment to the health and safety of its workers. Both Ministers were very diligent to observe our safety rules on this busy site and we were very pleased that their personal commitment to safety extended to signing our site safety charter.