Gas cavern protest: ‘I hope that we can all stand together as a community to support this campaign’

Hundreds of people turned out in Brown’s Bay in Islandmagee, east Antrim, to protest this afternoon over gas storage cavern plans.

Addressing the crowd, the spokesperson said: “This peaceful gathering is a clear demonstration and representation of love, appreciation and compassion and concern for our beloved Islandmagee. We have real concerns for the coastline, for the flora and fauna and all the residents who live here. I hope that we can all stand together as a community to support this campaign.”

Islandmagee Gas Storage Limited proposes to create seven caverns within a rock salt interval beneath Larne Lough, and this has created opposition within the community due to the impact on people and the environment.

The proposed cavern construction will be 85m x 185m and store an estimated 50 million cubic metres. Seawater taken from the same area 100 metres off Skernaghan Point will be used and heated for the leaching process.

Planning permission for the deep underground gas storage system was approved several years ago.

Islandmagee Energy, a subsidiary of InfraStrata, says this the process will be carried out by using a ‘well-proven technique that represents the most environmentally-friendly, safe and efficient method of storing large volumes of natural gas.’

Posters have been put up in Islandmagee in opposition to the plans.

Islandmagee Energy is reassuring the community and it says that the concerns of residents will ‘always be a priority.’

“We are now preparing to start enabling works on the site and as part of our planned and ongoing community relations work, we will keep everybody up to date on progress, and more importantly, provide a facility to quickly answer any concerns local residents may have,” said Infrastrata CEO and Islandmagee Energy’s Managing DIrector John Wood.