Plans by the Environmental Protection Agency to grant an operating licence to the controversial €200m Corrib Gas terminal in Co Mayo are to face fresh opposition from the Shell to Sea campaign group and An Taisce.
The EPA announced last month that it intended to grant the licence subject to 85 conditions.
Opponents of the project had until 5pm today to object to the move.
The EPA came down firmly in favour of Shell's plans to build the onshore gas refinery at Bellanaboy after a detailed examination of the company's plans.
It said it was satisfied that the terminal would not adversely affect human health or the environment but that decision was immediately rejected by the Shell to Sea group.
It said it believed it would present a serious health and safety threat to the area and its people.
An Taisce says it has particular concerns about the terminal site because it is located close to a lake which supplies drinking water for the area.
The EPA now has four months to consider these objections and demands for an oral hearing.
Meanwhile, preliminary engineering work on the site is continuing.
Shell says it will begin moving 350,000 tonnes of peat from the compound before Easter and hopes to start construction work on the terminal in October.
In a separate development to try to break the deadlock over the route of the highly controversial onshore pipeline, the first in a series of consultative meetings will be held in Belmullet next Tuesday.
Local people are invited to take part in the process of finding an acceptable alternative route.
