Natural gas arrives in Ballina

Natural gas arrives in Ballina


Neill O’Neill
 
BORD GÁIS and Ballina celebrated the arrival of natural gas to the north Mayo capital yesterday (Monday), when one of the first local gas customers there was connected to the network.
Mayor of Ballina, Cllr Michelle Mulherin, and CEO of Ballina Chamber, Sandra Cribben, both joined Bord Gáis Networks staff and complex owners Keith and Siobhán Brennan to celebrate the switching-on of natural gas by chef Kieran Sweeney.
Ballina is the third Mayo town to be connected to the natural gas network after Westport and Castlebar. Due to the high levels of demand within the town, Bord Gáis committed to bringing natural gas to Ballina at an early stage of their Gaswest project. The construction programme for Ballina saw the completion of 14 kilometers of distribution main within the town, along with 19 kilometres of feeder main which ties in to the 149-kilometre Mayo to Galway pipeline. This pipeline then connects to the 12,821-kilometre national gas network at Galway.
Speaking yesterday, Mayor of Ballina, Cllr Michelle Mulherin, heralded the arrival of natural gas in the town as an important milestone for the development of the area.
“The economic and environmental benefits from the extension of the gas network to Ballina will be substantial for all customers and of significant benefit to existing businesses,” she said. “I would also like to congratulate Keith and Siobhán Brennan for embracing this opportunity to tackle energy costs in their business and on the occasion of making history in Ballina.”
The Gaswest Project is a €40 million, three-year development project for the west of Ireland. Following the completion of phases one and two of the ‘New Towns Analysis Report’ undertaken by Bord Gáis, the towns of Ballina, Ballinrobe, Ballyhaunis, Castlebar, Claremorris, Crossmolina, Knock and Westport were all proposed for connection, subject to demand being sufficient enough within each town. Work is continuing to serve the remaining towns.