Construction work by Bord Gáis Networks on the pipeline to bring natural gas to homes and businesses in Tipperary Town, is expected to get underway this week. Tipperary Town customers can soon join a network of some 640,000 customers countrywide, who presently enjoy clean, efficient and environmentally friendly fuel.
The project on completion was previously estimated in 2009 at costing €5,551,357.
The town will be supplied with natural gas from the existing Raheen Above Ground Installation (AGI) in Garryspillane, Co. Limerick. The project will involve laying a 17km feeder main pipeline along the R662 to the edge of Tipperary town and 9.8km of distribution pipeline throughout the town.
Construction of the feeder main pipeline is being carried out by Bord Gáis Networks’ designated contractor, GMC Groups gas division. Work on the new distribution pipeline in Tipperary town is scheduled to begin in spring 2011 and will be completed within six months.
Bord Gáis Networks is currently liaising with all the relevant authorities and organisations, as well as the businesses and residents along the route of the pipeline, to ensure that all concerned are aware of the planned construction.
As safety is a number one priority, Bord Gáis Networks has been working with the Roads and Planning departments in Tipperary Town Council and Tipperary County Council, to agree local traffic management plans and to arrange appropriate sites for the storage of pipes and fittings.
All excavation work will be back-filled and original surfaces restored, thus ensuring that disruption is kept to a bare minimum.
The town of Thurles was being considered in the same economic group with the town located close to the existing Transmission Block Valve station at Gurteen off the Cork-Dublin Transmission pipeline. The project on completion for Thurles was previously estimated at costing in 2009, approximately €11,300,882. However this proposed connection to the network, resulted in a negative net present value of -€8.66m and therefore connection was deemed uneconomic on a stand-alone basis.
Now our readers may partially understand why I compare rural Thurles to ‘An Pháil’. No secret government support deals done on this front.
Still, after next Thursday’s HSE / SIPTU scam discussions, we might get part of the €40 million odd set aside by that body called the Health Services National Partnership Forum, that is if it has not been all spent on foreign holidays for union chiefs.
Isn’t it just gas my friends.
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