Post: Irish energy security focusses on renewables growth

Irish energy security focusses on renewables growth

Ireland will focus on developing renewables to improve its energy security, the government has announced.

In its Energy Security in Ireland to 2030 strategy, published on 14 November, the government outlined how the country will be energy secure during the decade, said growing renewables generation is the “right” plan to secure the country’s electricity supplies.

The report, identified strategic risks for Ireland within a changing European and international energy context. Based on this, the report sets out several conclusions, including:

• Electrify: Ireland’s future energy supply will be more secure by moving to an electricity-led system.
• Delivering on the plans already in place: Ireland’s existing plans to grow renewable generation, demand-side flexibility, new gas-fired generation as back-up, interconnection and storage are the right ones to secure electricity supplies.
• Balancing sustainable gas demand and supply: While gas supplies and infrastructure are adequate to meet our demand projections, there are risks in the event of disruption to infrastructure. To reduce reliance on gas imports, we will reduce natural gas demand and develop renewable, indigenous gas supply and renewable gas-compatible storage. As a transitional measure, we will introduce a Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve to address security needs in the medium-term, to be used only if a disruption to gas supplies occurs. Based on the preliminary analysis of the Department (DECC) it is anticipated that a floating reserve (FSRU) will best meet the criteria set by the Government today, a solution preferred by a range of EU states. This will be examined by Gas Networks Ireland and a detailed proposal will return to Government for final approval in 2024.
• Robust oil supply: Back-up reserves and distribution plans in case of an oil emergency are sufficient. Into the future, we need to ensure commercial oil supplies into the State will be robust, along with the infrastructure for distribution. Over time, oil demand will be reduced.
• Anticipating Risks: Maintaining a strong focus on anticipating risks and good governance to ensure delivery, robust risk management and adequate resources.

Two major new areas are highlighted in the report for action: increasing Ireland’s resilience in the unlikely event of a disruption to natural gas supplies and developing the anticipatory capacity of the energy sector in Ireland.

The report sets out permanent and transitional measures to be implemented to address these risks:

• permanent measures focus on reduced demand, renewable gas capacity and renewable gas storage and will provide an enduring solution based on Ireland’s long-term future requirements. When developed at scale, such measures will sufficiently deliver security and resilience replacing the need for a transitional measure.
• the transitional measure seeks to create a Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve, which will address unmet demand should a significant disruption occur to Ireland’s largest gas infrastructure in the medium term as Ireland transitions to enduring solutions based on Ireland’s long-term future requirements.