Renewable Energy in Ireland: Offshore Wind & Green Gas

Ireland aims to be generating 80% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. “We’re making strong progress,” states Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien. “We have doubled onshore wind capacity in the past decade, increased solar by over 1,000% and expect further acceleration.”

As a result of public and private sector efforts, over 8 gigawatts of renewables have been installed. By 2050, however, Ireland needs an eightfold increase in capacity to continue meeting power demands, and harnessing the vast potential of its oceans is key to achieving this. “Offshore wind will be the next major step. We have five projects progressing through planning, with most expected to be consented this year,” confirms O’Brien. “We’ve also begun mapping our entire coastal area, securing around $230 million to identify future sites.”

Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment At the same time as investing in generation, Ireland has become a European Union (EU) leader in integrating renewables into the grid. For instance, it ranks third in the bloc for large-scale battery energy storage. “Solar microgeneration has also developed rapidly, with around 180,000 rooftops now equipped with panels,” notes Paddy Hayes, CEO of the 97% state-owned Electricity Supply Board (ESB) that operates across the sector’s value chain.

ESB is ramping up the transition toward green energy with substantial government backing from a $21.9 billion investment program to strengthen grid resilience. On top of this, Ireland is investing in linking its power systems with those of other nations. “Deeper integration with the EU electricity market is important. It improves security of supply, reduces risk and supports future offshore wind development, with the potential to export clean energy,” explains the minister.

The government has also provided nearly $200 million under its Just Transition initiative to help regions move away from fossil fuels. A good example of the scheme in practice is Bord na Móna, which was a peat-based energy company and is now a leading renewables generator in Ireland’s midlands. “This shift in what was a peat-dependent region has driven the growth of hundreds of new green tech and clean energy firms, supported through Just Transition programs, including startup and expansion grants,” O’Brien says.

Large players like ESB are also focused on innovating. “For instance, we are a member of the Electric Power Research Institute, which is headquartered in the U.S. and has its European center in Dublin,” comments Hayes. “One of the biggest opportunities will be finding cost-effective solutions for long-duration storage. The ability to store surplus renewable energy will become increasingly critical and Ireland is well positioned to contribute to this area.”

While Ireland has made rapid progress in renewables, it is still dependent on natural gas, 80% of which it imports via the U.K., with the remaining 20% coming from its own offshore Corrib gas field. “Depending on weather conditions, gas provides anywhere from 10% to 90% of Ireland’s electricity, averaging around 40-45%. It is an essential backup for renewable electricity, with lower greenhouse gas emissions than oil or coal,” asserts David Kelly, CEO of Gas Networks Ireland (GNI), the state company that owns and operates nearly 9,200 miles of national gas infrastructure.

Gas Networks Ireland’s compressor decarbonization project will reduce operating emissions by about 41%. (© GNI) Gas also heats about 40% of homes. Over time, GNI believes domestic heating will shift to electrification via a mix of heat pumps and low-consumption gas boilers. “We’re also seeing growing interest in hybrid heat pumps, which run on electricity but can switch to gas during peak or very cold periods. This is a key transitional technology for Europe,” he says. “However, we expect industrial heat, particularly in sectors like food, drink and pharmaceuticals, to remain on gas in the longer term.”

Given that the country will remain reliant on some form of gas for the foreseeable future, GNI’s focus is on replacing natural gas with decarbonized solutions, such as biomethane and green hydrogen. “Biomethane is a renewable gas produced from agricultural and food waste through anaerobic digestion plants, which we are connecting directly to our gas network,” the CEO explains, noting that the first of these projects has just gone online. “Our goal is to connect 50 to 60 large-scale plants, potentially supplying 10% to 15% of Ireland’s gas demand.”

GNI is also preparing for the proposed development of offshore wind farms, as the Irish government plans to allocate up to 5 gigawatts of surplus energy they generate to hydrogen production. The company maintains one of Europe’s most modern natural gas networks and the new backup gas generation plants it is installing are hydrogen-ready.

It is now advancing pilot projects that could lead to five industrial clusters being powered by the green fuel. “These would support hydrogen and hydrotreated vegetable oil production and transport, forming the basis of a national hydrogen system,” Kelly discloses. “In addition, Ireland’s offshore wind presents a large opportunity for hydrogen exports to markets such as Germany, where demand is strong. GNI has two subsea natural gas interconnectors with Scotland, which could potentially be repurposed or expanded for hydrogen.”

To promote a greener, resilient and secure energy system, GNI is delivering a record $300 million in capital investment this year, which is forecast to rise to about $580 million annually over the next five years. “A major part of this is developing a floating liquefied natural gas terminal that will serve as an emergency reserve and is scheduled for completion by 2030. We are investing in regional network reinforcement and infrastructure upgrades too,” he says. “Another main focus is decarbonizing our compressor stations in Scotland, which will reduce our operating emissions by around 41% and increase interconnector capacity.”

The company is also collaborating with partners on innovative sustainability initiatives, ranging from producing bricks using biomethane to incorporating carbon-neutral cement in its operations. “Across the business, we have around 200 decarbonization projects underway,” states the CEO. “Decarbonization is now our central priority, as we work to reduce Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels and transition to cleaner energy.”