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Firefighters continue to monitor 'elevated temperature levels' at ESB station

Firefighters continue to monitor 'elevated temperature levels' at ESB station

Firefighters from two stations continue to deal with an incident at the ESB's power generating station at Moneypoint in West Clare.

Fire crews from Kilrush and Kilkee responded to a small fire at the facility at around 5.00am on Tuesday.

After that fire had been extinguished, Clare County Fire and Rescue Service was requested to provide crews to monitor "elevated temperature levels" in some coal stock.

Firefighters have been working in shifts to monitor the work of ESB crews as they continue the lengthy process of removing coal from the bunker.

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It's expected that the fire service could be at the scene for up to two more days while the ESB works to remove the coal using specialist equipment.

The ESB confirmed: "As part of our risk control measures, we asked the fire services to be on standby at the station whilst this coal was fed to the boiler and when any residual amount is emptied from the bunkers. We expect the process to be completed in the next day or so“.

In March fire crews attended a fire at the same facility after the plant’s automatic fire system detected a blaze on a coal conveyer system.

The company later confirmed they had launched an investigation into the incident and that the HSA and the EPA had also been notified.

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