OPINION: Clean energy can boost Derry’s economy - MLA

That means making the most of the renewable resources our geography gives us, while acting fast against the dirty fuel that we have become too reliant on and which is damaging our quality of life.

We believe that large numbers of jobs can be created by exploiting renewable technologies such as wind turbines, geothermal, tidal, hydrogen and battery storage. Derry is in a great position to benefit from this because of our geography – becoming a literal power house for Northern Ireland.

My SDLP colleague Nichola Mallon, infrastructure minister, has bought the first consignment of zero emission buses, some of which will be used in Derry – helping to cut traffic related air pollution. Replacing diesel and petrol engined vehicles with hydrogen and electric vehicles is a core part of our party’s approach to energy.

In drawing up our energy policy we have been very influenced by Derry’s air pollution crisis. A major cause of our dirty air is the widespread use of coal for home heating, which is causing premature deaths, damaging the quality of life for people across the city. It is now well known that Derry has the worst air quality in Northern Ireland and that air pollution kills. Lots of people in Derry suffer from health conditions made worse by air pollution – bronchitis, asthma, heart attacks and strokes, for example. About 500 people every year die prematurely in NI because of air pollution. It is a significant factor in Covid-19 illness and deaths.

But while air pollution is a serious problem outside the home, it may be even worse inside. If you rely on a coal fire to heat your home, you are likely to be cutting short your life expectancy. It is particular dangerous for pregnant mothers – coal smoke in the home typically reduces the birth weight of the baby and increases the risk of a still birth, according to the World Health Organisation.

Many families use coal to heat their home because they think it is cheap. They should think again. NI’s price comparison website for energy – Enirgy – has just published its latest figures on home heating costs. These show that coal is 50% more expensive than oil and 18% more expensive than gas when used in a central heating system. The advantage of gas over oil is that it releases less carbon into the atmosphere, cutting the climate change impact. But at current prices, oil is cheaper than gas or coal.

In a fireplace, coal is a very inefficient way to heat a house. The warmth is focused in one part of one room, typically leaving the rest of the house cold and with heat lost up the chimney. Much of the energy value is not burnt thoroughly and is instead released into the atmosphere as particulates that poison the air.

The last few days have been really bad for air quality in Derry through a combination of weather conditions and the increased lighting of home fires. At the weekend [past] the air quality at Brooke Park breached internationally-recognised safe limits. At its worst, air pollution in our city is as bad as can be found in an industrial steel works. We should not accept this. When the South introduced a ban on smoky coal, it led to a big reduction in premature deaths.

It is time for the North to consider how we become more sustainable in energy use. If we get this right not only can we cut air pollution, but we can also reduce fuel poverty and create a clean new economy, generating substantial numbers of jobs. Clean energy can be at the heart of the economic transformation of Derry and the NW that our city and region desperately need.

SINEAD MCLAUGHLIN, MLA and SDLP economy and energy spokesperson