Engineers question Government target to decarbonise electricity sector by 2050
An all-island body representing engineers has questioned the feasibility of the Government's target of decarbonising the electricity sector by 2050.
The Irish Academy of Engineering has highlighted what it called "the absence of a plan to deliver the 350 large energy infrastructure projects needed in the electricity sector".
The organisation has called for the development of sufficient liquified natural gas capacity to address the security of supply risk "identified continually" in the State's National Risk Assessment since 2014.
It said if targets of electrifying heating and transport by 2050 are to be met, the power requirement in Ireland will increase from 34 terawatt hours in 2024 to about 80 terawatt hours.
The organisation said this would require the completion of a programme of over 350 large energy infrastructure projects.
The organisation said: "Government has set a target to achieve a zero-emissions electricity system by 2050 - and accepted the imposition of enormous interim financial penalties by the EU if this objective is not achieved - without first understanding and demonstrating how it is feasible."
It said this had been done without estimating how much this would cost and what impact it would have "on the already high prices consumers pay for their electricity".
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