History and uses of peat
Peat moss
During the last century there have been a number of uses
for peat moss or milled peat in Ireland. Certain uses required
only a small amount of peat e.g. fine peat dust was added
to molasses as food for livestock as this was thought to
increase the amount of time the food would remain in their
stomach and thus allow for greater absorption of nutrients.
Other processes or uses required large volumes of peat,
including
Train used to transport
peat
at IPDC, Armagh |
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Bedding/ Litter for livestock
Peat moss has been used as a bedding material since the
1850's. The purpose of peat litter is to keep livestock
clean and dry when they are kept indoors. Peat from raised
bogs which has a high Sphagnum
moss content was used because of its ability to absorb
large amounts of liquid and neutralise odours. From 1901
until the 1940's The Irish Peat Development
Company, who owned and managed what is now Peatlands
Park exported large volumes to the British Army for
use as horse stable litter by cavalry units.
Packing material
Peat mould or dust is a by-product in the production of
peat moss and was used as a packing material in the transportation
of fruit and vegetables. The Irish Peat Development Company
in Armagh exported peat dust to the Canary Islands for use
as a packing material in the transport of potatoes and tomatoes.
Horticulture
The production of peat moss/milled peat for the horticulture
industry has became a major industry especially in the Republic
of Ireland. The principle use of milled peat in the horticultural
industry is as a growing medium for container grown plants
with a small proportion used as a soil improver. For further
information about the use of peat moss in horticulture see
Issues, Milled Peat
Electricity
The use of peat moss for the production began in 1957
in Co. Offaly. A large proportion (~80%) of the milled
peat moss produced in the Republic of Ireland is used
to produce electricity.
There are currently 6 peat-burning
power stations in the Republic of Ireland. An additional
4 power stations that were fuelled by hand-cut turf were
set up in the west of Ireland but they were uneconomical
and all four have closed.
Currently peat fuelled power stations provide 10% of the
total energy consumption in the Republic but during the
oil crisis in the 1960's they accounted for over 40%. The
increasing dependency on imported energy sources was one
of the reasons given for the construction of Europeat 1,
a new peat-fired power station that opened in Offaly in
2000.
