Clonmel industry Medite is seeking planning permission to replace its aging boilers

Councillors’ views were sought on a planning application by Clonmel MDF manufacturer, Medite, to replace its two aging wood biomass fired boilers and a thermal fluid heater with more energy efficient and climate friendly systems at Tipperary County Council’s April meeting on Monday.

The Strategic Infrastructure Development application from the Coillte owned industry at Redmondstown, Clonmel will be decided by An Bord Pleanála but under legislation the Council’s Chief Executive must prepare a report on the proposed development and the local authority’s views on the project.

The CEO’s Report was presented to the Council's meeting in Nenagh to seek councillors views on the massive multi-million euro project so they could be included in the report that will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála for consideration as part of its assessment of the application.

The application submitted to An Bord Pleanála in February seeks permission to replace the three existing wood fired thermal energy systems serving Medite’s two production lines with two renewable energy wood biomass fired thermal fluid heaters with a thermal capacity of 60mw and 30mw respectively.

It’s proposed one of the new heaters will have a stack height of 33m while the other will have a stack height of 18.5m
Council Senior Executive Planner Anne Marie Devaney informed councillors the application proposes to carry out the development in a number of phases over a ten year period between 2025 and 2035. It will help Medite to meet its climate change obligations by reducing its carbon footprint.

She said the Council has considered the application and found it to be in line with national, regional and county development plans and policies and the Clonmel Local Area Plan.

She pointed out the traffic impact of the development was one of the main issues that has arisen. The council wants An Bord Pleanála to take into consideration the potential for traffic queuing on the N24 and link road.

Ms Devaney said this traffic issue was reiterated in Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s submission to An Bord Pleanála.
Clonmel Cllr Pat English said Medite’s plan to replace the old boilers with new energy efficient systems was welcome and he had no problem with the project overall.

He said there were was an ongoing traffic problem at the N24 turnoff to the link road to Medite. He requested the council in its submission to An Bord Pleanála to seek for something to be done at that junction.

He said the potential impact of the project on human health should also be examined.

Council CEO Joe MacGrath said the Council would add Cllr English’s comments to the report it is submitting to An Bord Pleanála. Cllr English proposed the approval of the CEO’s report on the planning application and Cllr Roger Kennedy seconded its approval.