Rathoe residents say they want answers, not ‘bribes’ for hydrogen storage facility proposal

A LOCAL community group opposed to the development of a hydrogen storage facility in the Rathoe area have said they want answers instead of money, following an announcement by the developer that local residents will be eligible for payments depending on how close they live to the site.

Last week, the developer of the Rathrush Green Energy Park, Net Zero Energy (NZE), announced plans to open a fund to be distributed to residents of Rathoe and Rathrush. Those residents living closest to the facility will be eligible for payments of up to €1,000 a year under a ‘Near Neighbour Fund’.

Speaking to The Nationalist, spokesperson for Rathoe Community Group Dr David Allen said many local residents believe the fund is a bribing tactic by the developer.

“I have been talking to members of the community and we’re pretty much all of the same opinion: are they trying to bribe us off?” said Dr Allen.

“We are actually getting a bit angrier now. We want answers to questions. We don’t want to be bribed or handed pittance money. Out of a €2 billion project, that is pittance money,” he added.

In the announcement, the developer said that those who live within 2km of the site will be eligible for a payment starting at €500, with larger amounts of €1,000 for residents living within 1km of the site.

The Near Neighbour Fund forms part of the wider ‘Community Benefit Fund’, worth approximately €12 million over the lifetime of the project. The developers have invited the public to offer feedback on how the fund would be best used for the benefit of the community.

NZE chief executive officer Peter Harte said the company’s local engagement had shaped the design of the fund, with the payment thresholds reflecting concerns raised directly by the residents.

“We know many people wanted to see a direct benefit for those living closest to the proposed development,” said Mr Harte. “This fund means almost 300 households could receive payments which would cover up to half of an average annual electricity bill, something which was emphasised in much of our local engagement. We want to be a responsible neighbour throughout construction, while continuing to build long-term relationships with the community,” said Mr Harte.

NZE said its community liaison team had engaged with more than 100 residents and stakeholders since the project was launched on 8 June through meetings, phone calls, emails and public enquiries and that this engagement is ongoing.

According to the developer, the Rathrush facility will save an estimated 180,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually ‒ equivalent to taking around 40,000 cars off the road. The plant will use surplus wind and solar energy that would otherwise go to waste due to insufficient grid capacity, converting it into green hydrogen for storage in lined rock caverns deep underground before later converting it back to electricity for the national grid.

NZE says the facility will store 30 times more green energy than Turlough Hill and will have seven times the generation capacity of Ardnacrusha.

However, Dr Allen and the members of Rathoe Community Group believe the company has yet to answer vital questions.

“In general, everybody is feeling that that’s not good enough. We need to talk to the company. I can’t speak for everybody – there might be people out there who go ‘that’s great’ – but for the majority of people in the community, we’re feeling like they are just trying to buy us off and I think that is enhancing that feeling of disrespect that we are getting from the company,” said Dr Allen.

“We are actively encouraging as many people as possible from the community to go and ask the questions that they are concerned about. Take notes, see if they answer the questions. If they answer the questions and they satisfy you, great, but if not, let us know,” he added.

The company said further details about the fund will be provided at a public information day in Rathoe Community Hall tomorrow (Wednesday) from 2-9pm.