33 minute read
The role of energy storage
Decarbonisation: The role of energy storage
Policy and regulatory support for energy storage is needed to enable the energy transition in Northern Ireland, says Ulster University’s Inna Vorushylo.
Highlighting the three main transitional pathways to net zero carbon identified in Northern Ireland’s long-term energy strategy of electricity, transport and buildings, the lecturer in energy markets and storage believes that energy storage will play a key role across all pathways and sectors in the transition to a net zero energy system.
The potential benefits of storage to the electricity sector include providing renewable generation variability management, system stability and reliability through ancillary service provision, and security of supply via diversification and improving affordability. By energy storage Vorushylo refers to a wide range of storage technologies, including electrical, thermal storage and demand side response provision among others. As, Vorushylo points out, energy storage will have an enabling role in the envisaged decentralisation of the power grid which will be needed for net zero.
Outlining why greater levels of energy storage will be required, the academic points to the existing challenges associated with the variability of renewables, predominantly wind generation, and the difficulty for the system operator to accurately forecast levels occasionally.
“Energy storage can help to quickly synchronise renewables into the system, while also helping to minimise the impact of variability on the system and minimise the process for the consumer,” she says.
While acknowledging that energy storage is not the full solution to addressing rising gas prices, the academic believes that greater capacity will help minimise peak energy prices and will form a critical part of stronger interconnection across different countries envisaged for the future.
“Additionally, with increased levels of renewable generators and a move towards a more decentralised energy system, significant investment in infrastructure will be required. Energy storage can assist a lot in this transition by optimising infrastructural costs and providing system services at various levels.”
Heat and transport
Electrification will play a central role in the decarbonisation of the heat and transport sectors and energy storage can bring benefits including a reduction of impact on the electricity system, with peak demand reduction providing flexibility to the system and supporting consumers to actively participate in the market.
Research carried out by Ulster University to help inform the preEnergy Strategy consultation shows that through the high electrification scenario for heat and transport, peak demand could increase by 60 per cent by 2050 compared to 2018 levels. “By providing the opportunity for flexible demand-side response, storage can significantly minimise the impact of emerging technologies on the system,” she explains.
An example provided by Vorushylo in relation to heat centres is an understanding that years with the lowest available wind profile in Northern Ireland often coincide with the coldest years. Air source heat pumps, while recognised as positive technologies, reduce in performance when the temperature decreases. “Again, energy storage, especially long-duration energy storage and demand-side measures, can help minimise this effect on the system,” she states.
Alongside a high electrification scenario, the university’s research also analyses a high gasification scenario, as well as a hybrid scenario. In both these scenarios, hydrogen has a major role but as the academic acknowledges, the infrastructure required to generate a future hydrogen economy is not yet in place.
“The main missing piece of the puzzle is energy storage,” she asserts. “The critical role of hydrogen and carbon storage in a hydrogen economy has been widely acknowledged across Europe. In Northern Ireland there is hydrogen storage potential for Northern Ireland through the Islandmagee storage project, and this is in the context that the UK
has one of the lowest levels of current natural gas storage in Europe. In Northern Ireland carbon storage sites are not easily available and so we need to invest in new hydrogen infrastructure or medium storage facilities.”
Highlighting that Northern Ireland can learn from existing exemplars, Vorushylo says that while pumped hydro storage technologies continue to dominate global energy storage power capacity, the role of battery storage and thermal energy storage is growing.
Barriers
Turning to the barriers for energy storage implementation in the market, the academic highlights that energy policy and regulation has been a long-standing barrier to storage development but outlines prioritisation of storage in a number of recent UK-level strategies and planning easements which indicate positive movement in this area.
Cost is another identified long-standing barrier but while energy storage technologies remain in the early stage of development and so are capital intensive, projections suggest large future reductions, with the academic highlighting that cost reductions are already evident.
Unlocking demand side potential can significantly improve peak demand reduction and, as result, contribute to price reduction, lowering fuel poverty and managing the gas crisis in Northern Ireland.
On how much energy storage would be required for Northern Ireland, Vorushylo says that no straightforward answer exists, instead indicating that the optimal level of storage will be dictated by manufactures and a range of factors ranging from the future carbon price to the policy direction for EV penetration. However, existing research from other countries indicates a strong trend whereby higher penetration of renewables correlates with a requirement for greater energy storage.
Vorushylo contends that critical to the future of energy storage will be the investment viability for these technologies. Launched at COP26, the Long Duration Energy Storage Council forecasts the requirements for 85 to 140 TWh of energy storage by 2040 to achieve net carbon energy system globally. Members of the council, which include the likes of BP and Siemens, have called for as much as $3 trillion of investment into long duration energy storage to give the global power system the flexibility necessary to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.
“I believe such a push puts fresh emphasis on governments to create environments of the right policies and regulatory frameworks to attract this investment into their countries and regions.”
Concluding, Vorushylo says: “Energy storage technology is a vital group of technologies, and the role of energy storage has been more widely recognised across the UK and in Northern Ireland. While energy storage is a global enabler, it is clear that policy and regulatory support for energy storage in Northern Ireland is needed to enable the energy transition.”
magazine renewable energy
Northern Ireland’s renewable electricity support
Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy announced its energy strategy in December 2021, which includes an ambition of establishing a renewable energy support scheme.
The commitment is one of 22 objectives set out in the first annual action plan published by the Department following on from publication of the long-awaited Energy Strategy.
Northern Ireland’s success in reaching penetration levels of 47 per cent (40 per cent target) of electricity consumption coming from renewables is due largely to onshore wind generation.
Recognisably, a driving force behind the increase in renewable generation from onshore wind was the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation (NIRO), the main support scheme for encouraging increased renewable electricity generation, which closed in 2017 to new generation.
What form the support scheme will take remains to be seen. Both Great Britain, through Contracts for Difference for generation above 5MW, and the Republic, through a Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), have implemented incentives to encourage investment in low carbon generation and Northern Ireland will require a similar mechanism to attract the investment necessary to deliver on a 70 per cent renewable electricity target.
The Department for the Economy states that it will explore the possibility of extending the Contracts for Difference scheme to Northern Ireland, with the aim of tailoring the scheme to protect consumers from being exposed to wider costs across the UK.
In a statement, the Department outlines: “We are currently working with BEIS to explore whether we can extend the Contracts for Difference scheme currently operating in Great Britain to Northern Ireland, with a view to inclusion for the next Allocation Round in 2023. If not, we will seek to put in place an alternative support mechanism for investors.”
The scale of the energy decarbonisation challenge faced in Northern Ireland can be viewed in the context that even when surpassing 2020 targets for renewable energy, in over 30 years since 1990, Northern Ireland has only reduced energy-related emissions by 25 per cent. Fresh targets within the strategy mean that energy-related emissions will need to be reduced by 56 per cent by 2030.
Some firm commitments within the action plan for 2022 include:
• delivery of an area-based energy efficiency pilot scheme;
• a new energy efficiency support scheme for Northern Ireland businesses;
• the establishment of minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector;
• delivery of up to £5 million of support for the decarbonisation of heat in homes, communities, and businesses and delivery of low carbon heat networks;
• establishment of a crossdepartmental working group on biomethane production; and
• publication of an EV infrastructure action plan.
The Department failed to fully commit to establish a scheme next year, instead stating that it will “consult on a renewable electricity support scheme in 2022 for delivery in 2023”. This uncertainty is further exacerbated by the fact that the Executive is currently not functioning.
RenewableNI: Building the pathway
Neasa Quigley, Partner, Carson McDowell, and Director of RenewableNI Steven Agnew, announce Smart Energy Conference 2022.
Steven Agnew, Director of RenewableNI, explains why the organisation is trying to push forward the Northern Ireland Energy Strategy without a functioning government.
RenewableNI is the voice for the renewable electricity industry. Through the development of policy, best practice and public communications, we represent those engaged in wind, solar and battery storage development.
As Northern Ireland lurches on without an Assembly, the rise in energy bills is at the forefront of people’s minds.
Recent reports published by RenewableNI have shown that increasing the percentage of electricity from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, can reduce these costs for consumers, and address the climate crisis.
RenewableNI has been engaged in promoting this message to policy makers, having launched our Programme for Government following the May 2022 Assembly elections.
A business breakfast brought together MLAs, senior planning officials and industry experts to discuss the challenges. Our event made clear that Northern Ireland is missing the environmental and economic benefits of renewable electricity. Our members, many of whom are developers, spoke first hand of the planning issues and costs in Northern Ireland and what is needed to tackle them.
We know complaining does not create change, so a key focus was discussing solutions and actions to address the climate emergency.
There is hope that we can make progress without legislative change, but there is no doubt, the challenges are more difficult due to the lack of an Executive and functioning Assembly.
On Thursday 6 October, RenewableNI is hosting our Smart Energy Conference in Belfast. The theme of ‘Building the Pathway – Implementing the NI Energy Strategy’ puts the spotlight on the Strategy as it nears one year since publication.
MLAs and senior government officials will be in attendance, as RenewableNI continues to nurture these vital partnerships. Only through collaboration can the twin goals of energy security and decarbonisation be achieved.
Sponsored by Carson McDowell, Smart Energy is the premier renewable energy event in Northern Ireland for industry, policymakers, regulators and network operators. It is an opportunity for those across the region, and wider area, to come together and address the Northern Ireland specific energy issues.
RenewableNI encourages you to attend to add your voice to the call for change.
For more information on the Smart Energy Conference, visit www.RenewableNI.com/SmartEnergy.
Steven Agnew, Director T: +44 (0) 28 9044 6240 E: steven.agnew@RenewableNI.com
District Heating Group established
After the findings of the National Heat Study, which found that district heating could provide up to 50 per cent of building heating demand in Ireland, the Government announced the formation of the District Heating Steering Group, which it hopes will play a key part in the implementation of the Climate Action Plan 2021.
The steering group, chaired by Barry Quinlan, Assistant Secretary in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) with responsibility for Energy, coordinates the rollout of policies and measures to support district heating in Ireland.
The group will publish annual reports for government, which will include outlining actions taken to support the expansion of district heating and the developing an appropriate set of legislation to support the growth is district heating in the State, with further advice on transposition of EU Directives.
The steering group, throughout the course of the next year, will be a guide for the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications by providing evidence-based recommendations on new legislation.
In particular, the District Heating Group will play an advisory role in regulation, finance, planning regulations, and research.
On regulation, the group has to ensure that it is in keeping with the European Union regulations on district heating and emissions requirements and will abide by EU legislation, namely the Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001/EU and the Energy Efficiency Directive 2018/2002/EU. Additionally, the group plays an advisory role on the formation of legislation on district heating, as well as advising on the rights of consumers and the rules for operating district heating systems.
On finance, the group examines funding and cost implications and taking consideration of the policy and regulation options that might be used for attracting investment for district heating. with the framework of the Act. It will further advise the Government on any new building regulations and ensure that new buildings are fitted with district heating.
The group will further make use of available date in the National Heat Study, and will use any expertise to advise on which areas of research should be prioritised and will oversee future research projects to industry standard.
Further to this, Darragh O’Brien TD, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, completed the consultation process for the European Union Regulations on District Heating, which promotes the use of renewable sources, identifying “efficient district heating and cooling” as a district heating or cooling system using at least 50 per cent renewable energy, 50 per cent waste heat, 75 per cent cogenerated heat, or 50 per cent of a combination of such energy and heat.
Member organisations of the District Heating Group:
• Department of the Environment, Climate and
Communications (DECC)
• Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH)
• Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) • Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU)
• National Development Finance Agency • Dublin City Council
• South Dublin County Council
• Limerick City and County Council
Renewable energy in Ireland snapshot 2022
UN Social Development Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
Installed renewable energy-generating capacity
In 2020, 42% of electricity was generated from renewable energy sources In 2020, electricity generated from renewable energy sources was
5,077MW
In 2019, electricity generated from renewable energy sources was
1,867MW
Fossil fuel subsidies decreased by 23% (€0.6 billion) from €2.8 billion in 2019 to €2.2 billion in 2020.
This represents an increase of 47% (€0.7 billion) from €1.5 billion in
2000
Electricity generated from renewable energy sources increased by 66% between 2015 and 2020 Electricity generated from renewable energy sources was 5,077MW in 2020 This equates to 1,020W per capita
Source: CSO
Ireland: Primary energy production
Energy generated from renewable sources accounted for 4.3% of Ireland’s total final energy consumption in
2019
Alongside Luxembourg, Ireland had the lowest share of renewable energy among EU member states
By comparison, at 27.4%, Finland had the highest shared of renewable energy among EU member states
In 2019, wind, biomass, and hydro generated 59%, 26%, and 5% of renewable energy production respectively
Electricity
38% of total electricity in Ireland was generated from renewable energy sources
Transport
In 2019, 8.9% of total transport energy consumption was generated by renewable energy sources
In 2019, 90% of the renewable energy used in transport was attributed to biodiesel
Source: CSO
KRA Renewables are fulfilling a vital role as an independent renewable energy consultancy and continue to initiate critical conversations on transitioning businesses to adopt more sustainable practices.
The company has rapidly developed a dynamic team with diverse backgrounds in renewable energy engineering, mechanical engineering, energy audit, finance, feasibility, design, environmental, social and governance (ESG), sustainability, LEED and sustainable construction within the built environment, and renewable energy asset management.
We work collaboratively with our clients to design and implement low-carbon solutions to assist them in reaching their sustainability targets. In addition, our clients benefit from mitigating the effects of energy price hikes on their businesses and satisfying their energy demand through their renewable assets.
KRA Renewables has grown to support the portfolios of some of Ireland's most prominent businesses, such as IPUT Real Estate, Nissan Ireland, and Hibernia Real Estate Group, which has reported a 28 per cent reduction in carbon emissions in their 2022 Sustainability Report.
We have conducted energy master plans for numerous high-profile historical buildings and active business campuses. We also recently completed a Whole Island Energy Transition Plan for Inis Bó Finne. Inis Bó Finne is an inhabited island located off the coast of Conamara, and our ETP set out a roadmap to transition the island to operate on 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
KRA Renewables is also focused on supporting our clients' portfolios through our asset management division. In addition to feasibility, design, and project management, by acting as asset manager we can ensure the asset is performing as predicted and identify any issues or causes for concern early on, thereby extending the projected lifetime of the asset and maximising its return.
Most recently, we have added Nissan Ireland to our asset management programme. KRA Renewables Managing Director, Krystyna Rawicz, explains: “KRA Renewables designed, tendered, and acted as project manager for Nissan Ireland’s sustainable retrofit, which included the installation of a 107kWp rooftop solar PV system at their head office in Dublin. Nissan's goal was to reduce its carbon footprint by reducing the building's energy consumption, which we have achieved through a fabric-first approach.”
This year the project progressed into our asset management phase, which enables us to monitor production and quickly resolve any issues.
“Our dedicated asset managers monitor the portfolios daily, reducing risk and maximising output for our clients. We anticipate a growth in our asset management portfolio and look forward to continuing to do all we can to help these clients,” explains Finnbar Howell, Technical Director of KRA Renewables.
In addition to aiding businesses in managing their current assets, KRA Renewables is equally interested in developing alternative routes for building occupiers to consider sustainability on a governance level via sustainability policies and ESG maturity and benchmarking.
“Our experience has taught us ESG benchmarking cannot be done using a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Therefore, we work hard to establish enduring collaborative relationships with our clients and are proud to assist them on an ongoing basis as they progress their plans for decarbonisation,” says Zofia Howell, Director of Operations at KRA.
At KRA, we continuously work to develop impactful projects across Ireland, from feasibility and design to tendering and asset management. We are dedicated to fostering change within Ireland's built environment and renewables sectors.
For more information on renewable energy solutions for your business, contact KRA Renewables:
Ciara Ledwidge T: +353 (0)1 524 0555 E: ciara@kra.ie W: www.krarenewables.ie
Energy in Ireland 2021
RES
Overall RES target for 2020: 16% Actual overall renewable energy share:
13.5%
RES-E
Target for 2020: 40% Actual renewable energy share:
39.1%
42% of all electricity was generated from renewable energy sources in
2020
86% of all renewable electricity was generated from wind in 2020 14% of all renewable electricity was generated from hydroelectricity and bioenergy sources in 2020
RES-H
Target for 2020: 12% Actual renewable energy share:
6.3%
RES-T
Target for 2020: 10% Actual renewable energy share:
10.2%
Source: SEAI, 2021
Electricity
Heat
Transport
Total
Source: SEAI, 2021
Quantity Share
2,464
4,914
3,868
11,246 22
44
34
100
Absolute change (ktoe) and overall change (%) of final energy in electricity, transport, and heat, 2019-2020
Electricity
Heat
Transport
Total
Source: SEAI, 2021
Absolute change Overall change
19
151
-1,360
-1,190 0.8
3.2
-26
-9.6
Pumped storage: Scope for further development
Ireland could develop an additional 360MW of pumped storage hydroelectric capacity by 2030 to mitigate security of supply concerns in relation to electricity.
The deployment of pumped hydro to provide a low carbon form of energy storage will be dependent on the identification of a suitable site and could help to mitigate relatively small but sustained electricity supply shocks by profiling demand to periods of high-RES output.
In September 2022, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications opened the consultations process for a review of the security of Ireland’s energy supply. The review found that while additional pumped hydro is unlikely before 2025, it is possible by 2030 and its deployment is consistent with the Climate Action Plan 2021 in terms of providing a low carbon form of energy storage.
There is currently only one pumped storage hydropower facility, Turlough Hill, in County Wicklow. This facility, operated by the ESB, currently has the ability to go from idle to full power in the space of just 70 seconds, and its four turbines can generate in the region of 300MW of electricity.
Pumped storage plants are limited to suitable locations as they require specific topologies to operate effectively. The Government has assumed an additional 260MW of pumped storage hydroelectricity capacity being brought online by 2030.
Having additional pumped storage would help to enable a flexible energy system that incorporates high levels of RES generation, however, it is recognised that while it provides flexible capacity which may be more resilient to correlated shocks than interconnector imports, its dependence on reservoir levels means that in the event of an unexpected shock, pumped hydro may not be in a position to respond for a sustained period.
Between 2015 and 2020, contrary to the trends in the rest of the European Union, Ireland has increased its per capita usage of natural gas, and most of the State’s electricity is reliant on the use of natural gas. Complementing this trend is the spike in demand for electricity which has occurred in Ireland over this time, whilst the EU’s electricity demand has been steadily falling, further emphasising the problems with Ireland’s energy storage, and outlining the importance in ensuring that demand can be curtailed, amid the energy crisis in 2022.
There is currently only one other pump storage facility which is envisaged to be built in the next decade, but this project, which was announced by former Environment Minister Alan Kelly TD in 2016, has still to begin construction (due to commence in 2023) and will not be operational until 2028 at the earliest.
If the project is completed, it will more than double the pumped storage capacity of the State. It is hoped that the new facility, to be placed in Nenagh, County Tipperary, will have the capacity to store up to 360MW of electricity capacity.
It is estimated that the project will come to a cost of €960 million. For context, the Turlough Hill facility came to a final cost of IR£22 million when it was constructed in 1968, equivalent to just under €403 million in today’s money.
Working together for a sustainable future
Coillte and ESB have united to form a renewable energy joint venture company. FuturEnergy Ireland CEO Peter Lynch explains why this collaboration has the potential to make a big impact in the wind industry.
It was late 2021 when the Renewable Energy Division within Coillte, including its team and portfolio of proposed wind farm projects, transferred to the newly formed FuturEnergy Ireland. In parallel, ESB joined with Coillte to become a 50 per cent co-owner of the business, triggering the launch of a new Irish renewable energy joint venture company.
The formation of FuturEnergy Ireland in November 2021 was timely. That very same month the Government published the Climate Action Plan 2021, which increased its 2030 target for renewable energy generation to an ambitious 80 per cent. By combining the assets and expertise of two leading commercial semi-state companies, FuturEnergy Ireland is now in a strong position to support that climate goal and improve energy security on behalf of the people of Ireland during this critical decade.
FuturEnergy Ireland’s ambition is to develop more than 1GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and in doing so to make a significant contribution to Ireland’s onshore wind sector. The portfolio combines projects developed by the FuturEnergy Ireland team with those developed in conjunction with other leading renewable energy companies. Currently, FuturEnergy Ireland has nine projects in the planning system, with several more to follow in the coming years. It has one project in construction, located in County Donegal, being delivered in conjunction with a project partner.
There is a strong and experienced team behind FuturEnergy Ireland. The team has in-house specialists across many fields who share one mission; the delivery of high-quality and enduring renewable energy infrastructure, developed in a responsible manner. As a new company, we have the opportunity to embrace innovation and ensure that we develop projects in a way that is good for our two shareholders, good for communities and good for the country.
You can expect to hear a lot more from FuturEnergy Ireland in the coming months. The company continues to advance its portfolio and hopes to commence a new delivery phase before the end of 2022 based on planning outcomes. In parallel, we will continue to seek out commercial opportunities that support the core wind farm portfolio in areas such as battery storage.
We are extremely excited to be working in this important, relevant and challenging sector, and also to position FuturEnergy Ireland as the standardsetter for commercially successful and responsible development. We are committed to embracing this unique opportunity to increase energy security, combat climate change and work towards a cleaner and greener future for everyone in Ireland.
For more visit: www.futurenergyireland.ie
Northern renewable generation and electricity consumption 2021
Published by the Department for the Economy (DfE) in March 2022, Electricity Consumption and Renewable Generation in Northern Ireland: Year ending December 2021 outlines the percentage of electricity consumption in Northern Ireland generated from renewable energy sources and the type of renewable generation deployed. The report benchmarks renewable energy generation against Path to Net Zero Energy objectives, which include “meet[ing] at least 70 per cent of electricity consumption from a diverse mix of renewable sources by 2030”.
Renewable electricity generation by source of generation, January to December 2021 (%)
1.6 0.6
5.1 3.9
6.8
82.1 Wind Biomass Landfill gas Biogas Solar PV Other (including hydro and CHP)
Main findings
According to data provided to DfE by NIE Networks, in 2021, the total volume of electricity consumed in Northern Ireland was 7,574 GWh. From January to December 2021, 41.3 per cent of total electricity consumption in Northern Ireland, or 3,131 GWh, was generated from renewable sources. However, this represents a 7.9 percentage point decrease on the previous year (January to December 2020).
Of the total renewable electricity generated in Northern Ireland during 2021, 82.1 per cent was generated from wind, compared with 84.9 per cent in 2020. The 2021 wind proportion figure represents a record low.
Meanwhile, only 560.7 GWh, or less than one-fifth, of renewable electricity generation came from non-wind sources that year. These figures refer to electricity generated from renewable energy sources physically located in Northern Ireland, as record by NIE Networks and SONI. It does not include microgeneration, non-export generating stations, or imported electricity.
As such, the decrease in the proportion of electricity consumed from renewable energy sources in 2021 largely correlates with lower wind speeds and therefore reduced winder generation during the year. Consequently, as a result of several facts, including weather and the creation of new renewable generation facilities, renewable electricity generation varies greatly from month to month.
That being said, non-wind renewable generation volumes have increased by 62 per cent, from 354.6 GWh in 2016 to 560.7 GWh in 2021. However, the greatest growth (46 per cent) in nonwind renewable volumes was experienced between December 2016 and December 2018, followed by smaller growth (11 per cent) in nonwind renewable volumes between December 2018 and December 2021.
Our Zero e-Mission Future
CEO of the Electricity Association of Ireland (EAI), Dara Lynott, discusses the important role of renewable electricity in achieving a carbon neutral economy.
Setting the context for the findings of EAI’s Our Zero e-Mission Future report, Lynott says: “The electricity sector is committed to a decarbonised future and supports the Government’s ambition for a carbon neutral economy. To achieve the most cost efficient transformation to a decarbonised electricity sector we need a clear idea of what the power system will look like in 2030.”
The EAI approached UCC’s MaREI to undertake the work in 2020, asking them to use existing European and government policy as a framework and to take into consideration the constraints of the power system.
Lynott highlights two important aspects of the report: “This report is a postcard from the future and sets out the challenge we face of swapping the petrol in our cars and the kerosene in our boilers for plugs. But also, to coordinate policy, planning and investment to facilitate the increasing levels of electricity generated renewably.
“Clear climate policy provides clarity on the pace of emission reductions required and reduces the risk of carbon lock in for new investments. They also point out that a greater effort in decarbonisation today will reduce the burden of effort post-2030. This report reviews options for different technologies that could further assist decarbonisation in the future.
“While these options all have implicit uncertainty, they share a requirement for significant capital commitment, long lead times for construction, decades long operational lifetime and a need for investment decisions to be made well in advance of 2030.”
Study findings
• Achieving a high renewable ambition across the all-island power system requires the system nonsynchronous penetration (SNSP) level to increase to over 85 per cent, grid constraints removed and continued investment in flexibility and grid infrastructure. Without this, emissions will increase, and a lower ambition will be realised;
• electrification of new loads in heat and transport plays an important role in wider system decarbonisation. To maximise the benefit of renewable generation for emissions reduction, the rate of electrification of new loads, particularly in switching from highcarbon fossil fuels, must keep pace.
Slower uptake on technologies such as heat pumps and electric vehicles has a net increase on wider energy system emissions;
• while wind energy will be the main driver of decarbonisation, the reliable delivery of electricity requires conventional generation to play a necessary role providing energy, system services and flexibility. The required gas fired capacity in 2030 will operate less [approximately 20 per cent less] energy compared to 2019. Options to decarbonise conventional generation beyond 2030 need to be examined now to ensure investment and action in a timely manner; and
• as policy across the UK, Ireland and
Europe shifts from a renewables target focus to an emissions reduction focus there is a need to promote decarbonisation across the full system including supply, grid and demand side measures. Policy coordination in the all-island system and cooperation mechanisms across the UK and Europe will help maximise the benefit of decarbonisation across the full energy system.
Post-2030 and pathways to net zero
The report highlights the need for increased interconnection post-2030 and also looks to understand the potential resource available from curtailed renewables for hydrogen production. Lynott highlights the fact that “ultimately it will be this renewable electricity that will be relied upon to fuel the back-up Zero e-Mission generation of the Future.
“The time to invest in our all-island electricity system is now and is a noregrets decision that future generations will benefit from.”
The Electricity Association of Ireland (EAI) believes in a EAI ELECTRICITY ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND decarbonised future powered by electricity and is the allisland representative body for the electricity industry and gas retail sector. EAI represents the entire value-chain for the sector from electricity generation and distribution through to retail. Its members range in size from single plant operators and independent suppliers to international power utilities and represent over 90 per cent of the market. www.eaireland.com
Mitigating the electricity supply risk
With electricity demand over the next 10 years forecast to continue to grow, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has outlined a number of potential mitigations to reduce the security of supply risk.
The Climate Action Plan 2021 indicated a number of key drivers of electricity demand in the coming years, not least for data centres, transport and electrical heating.
In November 2021, the Government published a Policy Statement on Security of Electricity Supply which outlined the key challenges to ensuring security of electricity supply such as having adequate electricity generation capacity, storage, grid infrastructure, interconnection, and system services to meet both average and peak demand.
With a binding target of 80 per cent of electricity demand generated from renewable sources by 2030, the Government has recognised the importance of maintaining the security of supply throughout the transition to ensure consumer confidence remains.
As part of the DECC review of the security of supply of Ireland’s electricity and natural gas systems, a number of mitigations to the security of supply of electricity have been set out.
Risks to supply range from low wind speeds, increased data centre demand, the electrification of heat and transport.
In terms of mitigations, the Government has suggested that additional electricity interconnection would further alleviate the potential for unserved electricity demand in a shock scenario, however, stresses that a correlated shock in a neighbouring country would reduce the likelihood of electricity imports. Alongside the three planned electricity interconnectors, the Department considers a further 700MW electricity interconnector between France and Ireland to be commissioned by 2030.
The EU has set an ambition for each member state to reach interconnection capacity of 15 per cent of overall installed capacity. Ireland will already exceed this target when the planned interconnectors are commissioned. Ireland currently has close to 300MW of pumped storage in its existing Turlough Hill plant, but the Government has considered a further 360MW coming online by 2030. Additional pumped storage would provide another source of flexible capacity that may be more resilient to correlated shocks than interconnector imports.
One obvious mitigation is the growth of generation. While the contribution of both onshore and offshore wind has been well measured, the Government believes that limited biomass generation capacity could prove an efficient mitigator. Indigenous biomass supply can act as a substitute for fossil fuels in generation and the consultation report assumes an additional 450MW dedicated biomass plant in 2025 and that an additional 25MW biomass plant is operational by 2030. It states that having additional source of low carbon generating capacity would reduce the draw on secondary fuels by gas fired generating plants and enable the existing secondary fuel supplies to last for a longer time period.
Hydrogen is also considered as a potential mitigation to the security of supply threat. The conversion of gas fired power plants to hydrogen would provide a low-carbon source of electricity dispatch which would contribute to RES penetration targets. Additionally, it would provide diversification from gasfired plant and allow for a reduction in the requirement for secondary fuel at gas-fired power stations during a shock scenario.
Finally, the use of batteries and demand side response can alleviate peak demand requirements, shifting demand from one period to another. Although not providing additional overall capacity, storage technologies enable greater penetration of RES generation by limiting curtailment. The Government assumes 335MW of battery energy storage in 2025 and 690MW by 2030.
Irving Oil and Simply Blue Group announce plans to explore renewable energy hub in Ireland
International energy company Irving Oil and Simply Blue Group, an Irish blue economy developer in floating offshore wind and renewable fuels, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a commitment to explore opportunities related to the potential development of an integrated renewable energy hub at the Irving Oil Whitegate Refinery.
This agreement will see the companies jointly exploring a series of opportunities that would contribute to the development of such a renewable energy hub at the Whitegate refinery, Ireland’s only refinery and a critical part of the country’s energy infrastructure, including the production of green hydrogen and its use in the production of electrofuels for local and international markets. Electrofuels, known as e-fuels, are carbon neutral sustainable fuels produced with renewable electricity and carbon or nitrogen extracted from the air.
Irving Oil and Simply Blue Group will also be assessing ways to integrate the significant planned offshore wind developments around Ireland into this renewable energy hub, including Simply Blue Group’s planned Emerald Floating Wind project, to be located approximately 50km south of Cork, Ireland. opportunities to reduce emissions in the ongoing operations of the Whitegate refinery and enable the production of a new generation of ultra-low carbon energy products, specifically e-fuels, aligned with evolving customer demands and energy policy within the European Union.
“At Irving Oil, we are committed to leadership through the energy transition and engaging in strong partnerships is a key part of our strategy as we all work toward a lower carbon future,” says Irving Oil President Ian Whitcomb. “The work we are starting with Simply Blue Group is another example of our energy transition strategy coming to life. Bringing together a key piece of energy infrastructure in Ireland, the Whitegate refinery, with Simply Blue Group’s global leadership in offshore wind development can create compelling new opportunities in Ireland.”
Sam Roch Perks, Simply Blue Groups’, Group Chief Executive Officer says: “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for Simply Blue Group, and we are excited to be working with Irving Oil as we jointly investigate the potential development of an integrated renewable energy hub at the Irving Oil Whitegate Refinery. This is a potential game changer for Ireland. It presents the opportunity to become a pioneer and leader in e-Fuels, a new industry sector that will prove vital in the fight against climate change.”
He continues: “The recent announcement of 2GW of green hydrogen from offshore wind by Minister Eamon Ryan TD strengthens our confidence in Ireland’s intention to enable this sector. Integrating large scale floating offshore wind farms, another huge opportunity for Ireland, with large onshore e-Fuel production facilities also offers many advantages in efficiently addressing challenges associated with intermittency, energy storage and system balancing.”
W: www.simplybluegroup.com
