Limerick 'lighthouse' city project for carbon reduction

Limerick City is one of two European ‘Lighthouse’ cites that have been selected under the EU CityXChange Programme.  The lighthouse cites have been selected for a climate change pilot programme that will provide information to the rest of Europe on how to dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of urban areas.

The goals and objectives of the CityXChange cover several areas with the end goals of creating a sustainable future for people. Improvements in energy efficiency in homes and buildings will help reach the goal of a low carbon city.  The Programme wants to create a Positive Energy Block (PEB) in the city where the block, which consists of 3 building or more, has the capacity to annually produce more energy than it consumes.  The block may benefit from a renewable energy resource(s) located beside the block, producing the renewable energy dedicated for the Positive Energy Block (PEB).  This renewable energy production mechanism is the purpose of this project.

GKinetic Energy Ltd is retained by Limerick City and County Council to set up a demonstrator project in the River Shannon to demonstrate the generation of sufficient renewable energy to create a PEB in the Georgian Innovation District in the city.  The demonstrator trial requires three hydrokinetic turbines (10kW each) in the River Shannon at either Sarsfield Bridge or Thomond Weir to determine the amount of renewable energy that can be generated using river flows and tidal flows.  The demonstrator project will operate for 18 months.  JBA is retained by GKinetic Ltd. to prepare a hydrology model to determine the optimal location in the river.  The placement of the three hydrokinetic turbines in the river requires planning permission, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report, a Natura Impact Statement, and a Foreshore Licence.  JBA has been commissioned to prepare these documents. 

hydrokinetic turbine