Community-led review · Rathoe, Co. Carlow

No community should be the testing ground for a first-of-its-kind hydrogen plant beside a school and crèche.

Net Zero Energy wants to build a €2 billion hydrogen storage facility within 1km of a primary school, crèche and family homes in Rathoe, Co. Carlow — a scale never before attempted anywhere in the world. This is our record of the evidence and the questions that need answering before this goes ahead.

Read the evidence →
Case Summary
Project
Rathrush Green Energy Park
Developer
Net Zero Energy (NZE)
Site
~50 acres, Rathoe, Co. Carlow
Cost
≈ €2 billion
Nearest school/crèche
< 1km
Village population
~200
Route
Strategic Infrastructure Development
Deciding body
An Coimisiún Pleanála
Never built at this scale
<1kmDistance from the proposed site to a primary school, crèche and family homes
~200Population of Rathoe village
0Hydrogen storage facilities of this scale, this close to a community, operating anywhere in the world
5–7 yrsEstimated construction period, with a peak workforce of up to 1,500
What's being proposed

The project, in NZE's own terms

Before we get to our concerns, here's what's actually on the table — as described by the developer and reported publicly.

Rathrush Green Energy Park (RGEP) would use surplus wind and solar power — electricity that is currently curtailed for lack of grid capacity or demand — to produce green hydrogen through electrolysis. That hydrogen would be compressed and stored deep underground in lined rock caverns, then burned in gas turbines to generate electricity when the grid needs it.

NZE describes it as a Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) facility capable of supplying up to 10% of Ireland's peak electricity demand for up to 70 hours, and says it would prevent roughly 180,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. The company has said it intends to lodge a formal planning application through the Strategic Infrastructure Development process.

  • Storage methodUnderground rock caverns
  • Village population~200
  • Distance to school/crèche< 1km
  • Construction period (est.)5–7 years
  • Peak construction workforce (est.)Up to 1,500
The evidence file

Our key concerns, in our own words

This is the case Rathoe Community Group is making — sourced from official reports, government policy documents, and the developer's own published material. We are not opposed to renewable energy. Rathoe and the wider area are already home to several large-scale solar farms. This is about whether an unprecedented project of this scale should be located within 1km of a primary school, crèche and family homes without the highest standard of independent scrutiny first.

Exhibit 01 — Public Safety

No guarantee of safety

Not independently demonstrated

A hydrogen storage facility of this scale is being proposed in a small rural village without any independent evidence, precedent, or sufficient guarantees of health and safety. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has recognised that while renewably produced hydrogen has a role to play, "its low density and explosive nature present challenges with respect to its storage."

  • Computer models predict what should happen. Real-world experience proves what actually does happen — and real-world examples at this scale simply don't exist yet.
  • The safety implications of locating a facility of this scale within 1km of a school, crèche and family homes have not been independently demonstrated anywhere else in the world.
Source: SEAI Hydrogen Research report
Exhibit 02 — Unprecedented

Unproven and untested — this is a test run

Yet to be demonstrated at scale

An unprecedented and unproven project demands unprecedented scrutiny and regulation. Government taskforces are currently examining hydrogen storage, but it remains unproven and untested at this scale. The Irish Government's own Electricity Storage Policy Framework 2024 states plainly that hydrogen storage "has yet to be demonstrated at scale."

  • The developer's own published material references a hydrogen storage facility in Sweden as its closest comparable example — while acknowledging that project operates at a smaller scale. There is no directly comparable operational example anywhere for what's proposed in Rathoe.
Sources: Electricity Storage Policy Framework for Ireland (2024), pp.94–95; Rathrush Green Energy Park FAQ
Exhibit 03 — Scale

This village is not built for a project of this size

Under scrutiny

If approved, this project would bring an estimated 1,500 construction workers and heavy machinery into a village of around 200 people, over an estimated five to seven years. The local roads and bridges were simply not built to withstand that level of traffic and infrastructure.

  • The developer describes the project as being "well away from local residences." We think local people are entitled to ask what "well away" actually means — when the proposed development is within 1km of a primary school, crèche and family homes.
Source: Rathrush Green Energy Park FAQ; Rathoe Community Group estimates
Exhibit 04 — Environment & Community

Impact on our local environment and homes

Not yet independently assessed

While the developer is engaging with the Environmental Protection Agency, the impact of a project of this scale on groundwater, wildlife, agricultural land, housing and the wider environment is undeniable. Noise throughout the construction period would be a significant burden on the school and community for close to a decade.

  • Rathoe Community Group is exploring commissioning independent engineering and environmental tests to assess the potential structural impact on nearby housing from the proposed construction work.
Status: assessment in progress — Rathoe Community Group
In their own words
"No community should be asked to become the testing ground for an unprecedented hydrogen storage project beside a school, crèche and family homes."
"Computer models are important. Engineering reports are important. But they are not the same as years of proven, real-world operational experience. When communities are being asked to host projects of this scale beside homes and schools, that distinction matters."
— Dave Allen, Chairperson, Rathoe Community Group
Take action

What you can do

  1. 1Read the full evidence file above so you know exactly what's being claimed and what's still unverified.
  2. 2Submit a written observation to An Coimisiún Pleanála during the public consultation window — this is the step that actually counts, and it preserves your right to challenge the decision later.
  3. 3Share this page with neighbours who haven't heard about the project yet. Most people in the area only found out through a leaflet.
Get in touch
[email protected]
Dave Allen, Chairperson
Details to follow
Sources

References

  1. Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), Hydrogen Research — seai.ie
  2. Rathrush Green Energy Park — Frequently Asked Questions — rathrushgreenenergypark.ie/frequently-asked-questions
  3. Electricity Storage Policy Framework for Ireland (2024), pp.94–95

A note on this page: Rathoe Community Group is an independent, volunteer residents' group. We are not affiliated with Carlow County Council, An Coimisiún Pleanála, or Net Zero Energy. Every factual claim above is drawn from public reporting, published research, or planning documentation — sources are noted under each exhibit, and we're happy to share full references on request. This page does not constitute legal advice; anyone considering a planning objection or judicial review should seek independent legal guidance on their specific circumstances.