GeoCoHort@MEGA

2025-09-12

Update from Irland partner-MEGA

While GeoCoHort’s original aims focused on leveraging coastal heat resources for sustainable energy to the local community, the project has also helped identify further strategic opportunities. The Limerick Central Gasworks site — after nearly two decades of opposition for development — sits adjacent to the docks and provides direct access to the estuary. Crucially, that site is under the control of the Port Authority (rather than the local authority), which gives it unique strategic access for an estuary-sourced heat supply into the city.

A new strategic plan for the site has been developed by the Lord Mayor of Limerick (former head of the Land Development Authority) with support from local stakeholders including Chisel & Oak, the main stakeholder in the GeoCoHorT project. The plan assumes the estuary can supply heat to the city through this access point, and the site is already being pushed for fast-tracked planning permission. If realised, the site could become the core of a district heating system for Limerick.

Experience suggests that the narrow window of opportunity for delivering a district heating project of this scale will favour teams with hardened experience in energy infrastructure, where GeoCoHorT partners could play a critical role. In particular, Swedish experience with district heating would fast-track any development, given the technical and policy complexities.

The Limerick Central Gasworks (Docklands) site opposited Chiesel and Oak

A view of the "vision" from the North (the Docks or Clayton Hotel)