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RESS2: Solar energy
RESS2: Solar energy continues to grow
With the increasing pressure on gas prices, the reliance of foreign countries for Ireland’s energy supply, and ensuring that the State meets its carbon emissions targets, it is more vital than ever to ensure that there is a strong and diverse set of renewables that Ireland can utilise to increase the independence of its energy supply.
With much of the conventional focus taking place on the development of offshore and onshore wind, the development of solar energy has traditionally been overlooked in Ireland. The Government launched the RESS1 auction in 2020, which has led to the development of over 60 successful solar projects in Ireland. As a result, the Government launched a second auction as part of the project, which aims to further increase the use of renewables, with a particular emphasis on the development of solar energy.
In July 2022, the publication of the sectoral emissions ceilings saw a more than doubling of the Government's 2030 solar ambitions to 5.5GW.
A total of 153 projects applied to participate in the RESS2 qualification process, an increase on the 114 that applied for the RESS1 process. The final qualification results, as approved by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, qualified 130 projects, including 15 community projects, to participate in the RESS2 auction. Three projects did not qualify and 20 projects formally withdrew from the process.
The total quantity of annual energy to be produced from the successful projects amounts to 2,748 GWh, of which 1,478 GWh will be produced via solar energy. 80 projects were successful in their applications, 66 of which were for new solar farms, which will be spread in locations throughout the State. There will also be a further 14 new onshore wind farms.
These projects are essential to meet the energy pledges in the Programme for Government, which outlines a target of 80 per cent renewable energy in Ireland by 2030. This is an increase from the initial 70 per cent target outlined in the 2019 Climate Action Plan. The Government has also pledged to reach net zero CO2 emissions by the year 2050.
It is predicted that there will be a further two RESS auctions between 2022 and 2025, depending on the renewable electricity project supply pipeline.
The RESS project is a series of community projects and development funds, with the aim of supporting sustainable community energy projects, particularly in rural Ireland, delivering on national policy goals of climate action, rural regeneration, social cohesion, capacity-building, and community development, as well as ensuring that local communities benefit from the projects.
The RESS mandates bound all successful projects to establish a community benefit fund of €2/MWh of generation. The community benefit fund, in addition to its primary role in raising funds for local projects, is designed to ensure that local communities are involved in the decision making processes of the local projects, and ensure that residents’ concerns are heard and that the projects are not operating contrary to the interests of the communities in which they operate.
The RESS projects outline that the payment to all those residing within 1km of a turbine is set out as a mandated fixed annual payment of at least €1,000 and should be paid by the end of the first year of commercial operation, and on anniversaries thereafter but can be paid earlier within the first year of commercial operation should the developer be in a position to do so.
Credit: EirGrid
Delivering integrated energy complexes
Following the successful launch of the Bord na Móna Energy Park in 2021, the organisation’s Commercial Manager, Brendan Kelly, outlines how co-location of renewable assets will be central to the future delivery of over 2GW of renewable generation.
A climate solutions company, Bord na Móna is actively engaged in delivering energy security and helping Ireland to achieve its climate goals through a diverse portfolio of assets.
In 2021, the company launched the Bord na Móna Energy Park on its land in counties Offaly, Westmeath, and Meath. The energy park aims to host a range of renewable energy generation and storage technologies and co-locate these assets with industrial scale, highdemand energy users, reducing their energy costs and carbon emissions while guaranteeing a secure and reliable source of power.
The Energy Park will add to Bord na Móna’s already impressive portfolio of renewable energy generation of some 700MW.
Complementing current generation, the company has a further 2GW of onshore
wind generation and an estimated 500MW from solar PV in the pipeline, representing a planned investment of over €2 billion over the coming decade.
“Global events of the past 12 months and their ramifications for Ireland have served to highlight not only the importance of rapidly increasing renewable generation, but the value in achieving efficiency in maximising the use of electricity grid assets through a range of technologies,” says Kelly.
“We are seeking to move towards delivering integrated energy complexes, facilitating the re-industrialisation of our land bank and ultimately delivering the lowest cost renewable energy.”
Bord na Móna’s planned future development is primarily focused on onshore wind infrastructure, however, Kelly highlights the importance of continued delivery of thermal plant, providing balance for when the wind does not blow.
The extent of Bord na Móna’s portfolio diversity can be viewed through largescale wind and solar farms in the likes of Cloncreen and Mountlucas Wind Farms and the 70MW Timahoe North solar project (co-development with ESB), currently being developed after successful inclusion in RESS2, but also biomass co-firing at Edenderry, a 5MW Landfill Gas Utilisation Plant at Drehid. Kelly explains that the company is constantly monitoring and exploring the potential of new and emerging technologies.
“At Bord na Móna, we feel that between 8-10GW of onshore wind generation will be required if we are to hit our 2030 targets, covering any potential delays in the contribution of offshore wind or other areas which may occur. Onshore wind will play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions between now and when offshore wind becomes a contributor,” he says.
Internal analysis done by Bord na Móna suggests that wind and solar can serve to decarbonise 90 per cent of the electricity grid by 2050, but that the last 10 per cent will require a contribution from renewable gas. The company’s renewable gas strategy outlines the role that green hydrogen can play in decarbonising this last 10 per cent. Bord na Móna recently established a supply company, focused at industrial and commercial level. Kelly outlines an interest in establishing corporate PPAs with large energy users located on site, emphasising a future reality of a 24/7 green power offering.
Emphasising the value of co-locating assets, Kelly highlights Bord na Móna’s application in July 2022 for a pilot 2MW green hydrogen electrolysis plant within its existing Mountlucas Wind Farm in Offaly. The project will initially look to use constrained and curtailed energy at the windfarm site to power the electrolyser and, potentially, off-site transport applications.
Additionally, Bord na Móna has planning permission for an 80,000 tonne Anaerobic digestor in Cúil na Móna Bog in the Clonboyne and Clonkeen area of Portlaoise as part of the circular economy arm of its business and Kelly hopes that the plant will eventually see biogas injected into the grid.
Future
Bord na Móna maintain a rolling 10 year plan, enabling it to evolve projects and development with ever-changing circumstances. Despite planned investment of over €1.5 billion over the coming decade, Kelly stresses the importance of collaboration and partnerships in expanding the company’s ambitions to aid Ireland’s decarbonisation.
“Our large land holding presents a multitude of opportunities spanning electricity and gas network access, storage potential and on-site deployment. If Ireland is to achieve its ambitious 2030 decarbonisation targets, Bord na Móna has to play a huge role in that, given our experience in delivering large scale renewable energy projects to date, our expansive renewable energy pipeline under development and the proximity of our sites to electricity grid infrastructure.
“Pairing this with the development of new industrial demand development at scale is the ultimate goal in a post-2030 world.”
W: www.bordnamona.ie www.bnmenergypark.ie
