Shell granted licence to operate Mayo Corrib gas refinery
The Corrib gas pipeline site at Ballinaboy, Co Mayo
A truck leaves the Corrib gas terminal site in Co Mayo
Shell is wiring 132km of fibre optic cable along the pipeline used to transport natural gas from the controversial Corrib gas field under the sea off the Mayo coast
THE Environmental Protection Agency has granted energy giant Shell a licence to operate its gas refinery at Ballanaboy in North Co Mayo.
A previous licence request for a licence at the controversial plant was quashed back in October 2013 and the latest revised licence request was granted subject to a number of conditions.
Shell now only needs to secure ministerial approval to bring gas ashore from the Corrib field.
Shell expects the first gas to flow by the end if the year.
The costs of the Corrib gas project are set to top €3.6bn in 2015.
The Corrib partners have spent an additional €340m on various aspects of the project this year and next year anticipate that a further €250m will be spent.
This follows an outlay of €330m in 2013, bringing the total projected spend over the three-year period to €920m.
This will result in the costs for the entire project topping €3.6bn - more than four times the original estimate of €800m.
Gas was originally expected to flow from the field in 2003.
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