THE former gasworks site on Limerick’s Dock Road, which is being remediated to facilitate future development, has won a major national award.
The Limerick Gasworks Remediation Project was named Public Sector Project of the Year at the Ireland Chapter of the Project Management Institute’s national awards.
The project, led by Ervia and Gas Networks Ireland, involves removing a significant amount of coal tar from the site using environmentally sustainable techniques, while maintaining protected structures on the site.
The project is now half way to completion.
The gasworks site played an important role in Limerick’s industrial past. Before the introduction of natural gas in the 1800’s, the gas used to light Limerick’s streetlights was made from coal. The coal tar, which is a by-product of that process, is being removed from the site.
The project completed its first phase early this year with the removal of more than 70 tonnes of residual coal tar from the site using a pump and treat process. The licence to clean up the site was obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency and planning permission was granted from Limerick City Council in 2013.
When the remediation work is completed, the site will be developed in accordance with the Limerick City Development Plan.
“We are extremely proud of the success of the project to date, which we can very much attribute to the great work by our innovative team to solve a legacy environmental issue,” said Kevin McSherry, head of Major Projects with Ervia.
“The pump and treat method which we have used has a significantly lower impact on the environment than other, more traditional, remediation methods. We are very grateful to local businesses and the local community who have cooperated with us throughout the project journey to date, to ensure that we can reinstate the Dock Road site to its highest potential.”
