Northern Eire’s determination to log out an undersea mission that might present 1 / 4 of the UK’s fuel storage capability will probably be challenged within the Excessive Courtroom in Belfast on Tuesday over environmental considerations.

No Fuel Caverns and Associates of the Earth Northern Eire are looking for to overturn a call by former Division of Agriculture, Surroundings and Rural Affairs (DAERA) minister Edwin Poots to grant a marine licence, granting development rights in sea areas for the Islandmagee facility.

Associates of the Earth consider the case is the primary of its type in Northern Eire the place the courts have needed to grapple with the implications of local weather change within the context of presidency selections.

The teams are looking for to have the marine licence quashed, that means the applying for the allow can be referred again to DAERA. This might set again or finish plans to construct the largest fuel storage facility on the island of Eire.

Poots granted the marine licence to Islandmagee Vitality in 2021 for the development of seven underground caverns at Larne Lough, an inlet in Antrim the place scenes from the favored TV collection Sport of Thrones had been filmed.

In response to Harland and Wolff shipbuilding group, lslandmagee’s father or mother firm, the caverns would supply greater than 25 per cent of the UK’s pure fuel storage capability, primarily based on 2018 information.

A judicial evaluation listening to scheduled to final 4 days will begin on Tuesday, the place attorneys will argue that Poots did not correctly think about the environmental implications of the mission when granting permission.

James Orr, director of Associates of the Earth Northern Eire, mentioned: “We’re . . . in court docket right now due to flagrant breaches of environmental legislation.”

Edwin Poots mentioned he couldn’t remark upfront of the listening to.

The deliberate caverns can be carved out of salt layers beneath the lough by a way referred to as answer mining. Campaigners have claimed this answer would then be discharged into the ocean, affecting native species together with harbour porpoise and skate.

Harland and Wolff has argued the mission, which was granted planning permission in 2012, will play a significant function in power safety throughout the island of Eire.

John Wooden, Harland and Wolff chief govt, advised the FT in January: “Should you have a look at . . . how shut the island of Eire is to the lights going out, fuel storage is completely essential to that stability of provide.” 

He added that the judicial evaluation was “a chance to finish this as soon as and for all” and he had 4 buyers eager to get entangled.

“We really welcome the judicial evaluation . . . all the recommendation we’ve had is every part we’ve completed is to the letter of the legislation,” he mentioned in an interview at H&W’s places of work in Belfast. “There’s no motive why the marine licence shouldn’t have been granted.”

DAERA mentioned: “It might not be applicable . . . to remark additional till the authorized course of has been accomplished.”

Harland and Wolff declined to remark.