AQW 3873/16-21

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 23/09/2016
Answered On Date: 11/11/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy whether a reassessment has been made on the necessity to build a Compressed Air Energy Storage plant in Islandmagee.

Answer:

The project to develop a Compressed Air Energy Storage plant at Islandmagee is supported as a designated Project of Common Interest through two existing Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) grant agreements with the European Commission. While this is a private sector developer led project and decisions relating to the development of the plant are a matter for the developer, not my Department, the delivery of a compressed air energy storage solution has the potential to add to our energy mix and this could be important in terms of maintaining a stable grid, putting downward pressure on prices and contributing to security of supply. As the project progresses it will be subject to a range of assessments, including its interaction with electricity market arrangements, and while my Department will not lead on such work, it will be interested in the outcomes.