FREE guided tours of the Ardnacrusha Power Station are on offer this summer.
School group tours will take place between May and the end of June with public tours beginning July 1 through to September.
Each tour provides a “fun, engaging, and informative experience, tracing the story of electricity in Ireland from the station’s origins in the 1920s to ESB’s modern-day commitment to renewable energy and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040″.
Plant manager Brendan Shine said that “all the staff working here at Ardnacrusha are delighted to once again open the gates of the station to school groups and the public so they can get an insight into the workings of our great station, and the contribution it has made to the country’s economic and social history”.
Visitors on the 90-minute guided tour will learn how Ardnacrusha revolutionised life in Ireland and continues to play a vital role in ESB’s sustainability strategy.
Participants will also gain insight into some of the cutting-edge renewable energy technologies adopted by the plant.
Commissioned in 1929, Ardnacrusha was the centrepiece of the Shannon hydro-electric scheme — a visionary project that symbolised Irish independence and industrial ambition.
Constructed by 5,000 workers over four years, the scheme cost over £5m Irish pounds, the equivalent of 20 per cent of Ireland’s GDP at the time.
With an initial capacity of 86 megawatts, it had enough to power the entire country. Today, Ardnacrusha remains operational, contributing around two per cent of Ireland’s total electricity supply.
Bookings an be made on esb.ie/ardnacrushatours.
