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Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Clarity on battery policy vital for Irish energy goals
Bobby Smith, head of Energy Storage Ireland, highlights a critical need for clear policy and infrastructure development to ensure Ireland meets its renewable energy goals. Smith has led the advocacy group since its foundation in 2020, leveraging extensive experience from his earlier career at the Commission for Regulation of Utilities and Wind Energy Ireland. "Energy storage, especially battery storage, is relatively new," Smith says. "But in just five years, we've reached nearly one gigawatt of battery storage capacity across the island." Energy Storage Ireland was established due to a clear gap in representation for companies active in energy storage. The group now represents about 70 member companies, covering developers, suppliers, consultants, and contractors involved in the energy storage supply chain. "Batteries complement renewable energy generation effectively," Smith says. "They store excess energy when renewable output is high, typically at low cost, and then supply power back into the grid when renewable output falls. 'We saw more and more wind and solar developers getting involved in storage, but there was no single voice representing them,' he says. 'So we set up Energy Storage Ireland, and I've been leading it since day one.' From a standing start just a few years ago, the sector now boasts just under one gigawatt of operational battery capacity on the island. 'That's a huge leap,' says Smith, referencing how early reports had only forecast 500MW by this point. 'We've doubled that. It's a real milestone.' Most of the current systems provide fast, short bursts of power, vital for stabilising the grid when demand fluctuates or renewable generation dips. 'They're like the shock absorbers of the electricity system,' says Smith. 'Previously, we relied on fossil fuel generators to do this. But batteries are more responsive, more flexible, and ultimately greener.' The big players? ESB is now Ireland's largest owner of grid-scale batteries. But there are others - Statkraft Ireland, Greencoat, and a growing pool of private developers. These companies supply balancing services to EirGrid, helping maintain the delicate frequency balance needed to keep the lights on. The link with renewables is direct. 'Batteries charge when there's surplus wind or solar—when prices are low, and release it when demand peaks. So they're natural partners to variable generation,' says Smith. And while most batteries are currently standalone, co-location with solar and wind farms is growing rapidly. Where things get complex is around data centres. Public debate has often pointed to them as villains in the climate story, citing claims they could consume up to 30% of Ireland's electricity. Bobby Smith, head of Energy Storage Ireland. But Smith urges caution. 'The figure is misleading. It doesn't reflect how many of these centres are also investing in renewables.' Many data centres now sign long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with wind or solar developers — deals that finance the construction of new renewable capacity. But Smith argues we need to go further. 'Most of these deals are based on annual matching. A data centre calculates its annual electricity use and funds a wind farm that produces a similar amount. But that doesn't mean the clean power is available every hour they need it.' Instead, the industry is pushing for 24x7 matching, where every hour of power use is balanced with green generation. 'That's where energy storage comes in,' says Smith. 'To achieve true 24x7 matching, you need batteries to cover the gaps when wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining.' The challenge is infrastructure. Ireland's grid was built in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. 'It wasn't designed for this. And delays to upgrades, like the North-South interconnector, have dragged on for decades,' says Smith. 'It's becoming a bottleneck.' Storage can help. 'Instead of building massive new power lines out of Donegal, we could store the energy locally and release it when the grid allows.' Artificial Intelligence (AI) adds another twist. Unlike traditional data centres that need to be near each other for reliability, AI training centres are more flexible. 'They don't need to run 24/7, and they can be located wherever there's clean power, say near a wind farm in Mayo or solar in Wexford,' says Smith. 'That's a huge opportunity.' But potential doesn't build infrastructure. Money does. And right now, energy storage developers have no guaranteed support. 'Batteries make money through arbitrage, buying cheap power and selling it when prices are high,' says Smith. 'But that's unpredictable. If you want to build a 20-year project, how do you convince a bank to back you?' Wind and solar developers in Ireland can access the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), offering stable revenue over 15 to 20 years. Smith believes storage needs something similar. 'We've got nearly 10 gigawatts of storage in the development pipeline,' he says, referencing an internal industry map of projects at planning, pre-construction, or connection stages. 'But it won't happen without certainty. Investors need it. Lenders need it.' He says: 'We've come a long way, but we could stall. If the government steps in with the right support, we can build a flexible, secure, zero-carbon grid. If not, we'll miss the window.' While policy support remains a sticking point, developers are already investing heavily. ESB is one of the most active players on the ground. David Farrell, Head of Onshore Development at ESB Generation Trading, says battery storage is no longer theoretical, it's operational. 'We have 965 megawatts of batteries on the system,' he says. 'ESB owns 300 megawatts of that.' The company now operates five grid-scale projects, the largest being a 150MW battery at Aghada, each capable of discharging for up to two hours. Farrell outlines four core functions of battery storage. 'First, it allows us to store excess renewable energy, when there's too much wind or solar on the system. Second, it enables arbitrage, buying electricity when it's cheap and discharging when prices peak. Third, batteries provide capacity, meeting demand instantly when required. And fourth, they deliver system services, stabilising voltage, supporting frequency, and offering fast-response backup.' He adds that batteries can also be strategically located to ease pressure on congested parts of the grid. 'By placing storage near areas of constraint, we can smooth out power flows and reduce the need for network upgrades.' These functions, he says, are essential not just for balancing a renewable-powered grid but for decarbonising the broader economy. 'We're moving away from fuel stored in oil tanks and coal yards. Now that storage must exist on the grid, and batteries are part of that solution.' While most commercial batteries are currently measured in hours, Farrell says that's changing. ESB is already working toward longer-duration assets, four-hour, eight-hour, even 100-hour storage. The aim is to replace peaking plants and reduce reliance on fossil backup. 'The next phase of development will allow us to cover full-day gaps in renewable output,' he says. 'And eventually, we'll need seasonal storage to support demand from sectors like heating and transport.' He also notes progress in how batteries are being integrated into the grid. 'In the past year, system operators have grown more comfortable dispatching batteries. They've proven to be fast, responsive, and reliable, especially during peak demand.'
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Public support for wind energy is fuelling optimism
As one of the country's greatest natural resources, wind energy is being backed by four out of five Irish people. A new national survey by Wind Energy Ireland found that 80% of the public support wind energy development, with 62% backing a wind farm in their local area — which marks a steady increase in support for Ireland's leading renewable resource. The survey found that more affordable electricity, reducing carbon emissions and positive environmental impacts were the driving factors of support. Wind energy's role in supporting Irish energy independence was also a leading motivator of public backing. 'Irish people are hugely supportive of wind energy and know it is the leading solution to rising energy costs and the climate emergency,' said Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland. 'Wind power is already helping to reduce electricity prices, cut carbon emissions, and create jobs in communities across the country. "With public support stronger than ever, we need to accelerate investment in grid infrastructure and skills to maximise the benefits for families, businesses and the environment." The report also found that 75% of those surveyed support offshore wind energy, with 82% recognising its role in securing Ireland's energy supply. 'Offshore wind represents an enormous opportunity for Ireland — it can be the basis of our national energy independence,' added Mr Cunniffe. 'Research has shown that Ireland's offshore wind farms could generate €38 billion for the Irish economy by 2050 if we can unlock its potential. "This survey proves we have the support of the Irish people but they want to see more and faster delivery. The Government needs to identify new sites for offshore wind energy projects around our coasts and reinforce the electricity grid to accommodate the enormous clean power these wind farms can produce.'
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Renewable energy, a sure route to ensuring the lights stay on
'Just imagine for a second that there was no climate emergency,' says Justin Moran. 'The globe isn't warming, everything is fine, there is no threat to life. You would still be insane not to be accelerating the development renewable sources of energy. It is the cheapest form of new electricity. The price drops in solar over the last couple of years have been incredible. Even if there was no climate emergency, you'd be doing this anyway and doing it as fast as you can.' Moran, a self-confessed 'energy nerd' is Director of External Affairs at Wind Energy Ireland (WEI), the body that represents Ireland's wind industry, with over 200 affiliated members. Their goal is neither simple nor trivial. Individually and collectively, they are on a mission to transform windy weather and odd day of Irish sunshine into the million blessings that a supply of electricity brings to civic society. Passionate in his advocacy of the urgency of renewable energy and the replacement of fossil fuels in the power chain, Moran sounds slightly bewildered that there are still people among us yet to grasp the importance of this transformation. He sits his argument on a stool with three legs — climate mitigation, energy security and the inarguable cost benefits of change. 'Onshore wind is the most affordable source of new energy — it helps consumers in that it drives down the price of electricity,' says Moran. 'Since 2020 onshore wind has saved over €1.7 billion in consumer bills. We spend about one-million euro every hour importing fossil fuels into Ireland for energy and there is absolutely no reason why we should be doing that. What we should be doing is putting in an energy system that ensures that money stays at home and that we have energy security and energy independence.' Ireland is doing quite well when it comes to producing electricity from onshore wind sources. Over a third of our energy demand is satisfied by this source, a higher proportion than any other country in Europe, which would come as a surprise to anyone who has walked across a Donegal beach on a blustery day. 'We've the best wind conditions anywhere in Europe,' explains Moran. In parts of the West of Ireland, the onshore winds are as good as offshore. Government has focused on the support schemes, the policies, the frameworks that have allowed us to build this capacity. Passengers wait before boarding their train at Sants railway station in Barcelona in April, a day after a massive power cut affecting the entire Iberian peninsula and the south of France. But there is an uncomfortable structural wrinkle lurking in the data. Ireland went all in on onshore wind farms in the early days of the 'rush to renewable' while other countries adopted more blended energy strategies, diversifying into solar, nuclear and offshore to supplement and balance their onshore output. Ireland cannot meet its net-zero targets in the coming decades through a disproportionate reliance on onshore wind farms and accelerating delivery from disparate sources is critical to meeting Ireland's international obligations. Justin Moran says that his members at WEI stand ready, willing and able to rise to the challenge. 'Our plan is to produce nine-thousand megawatts of onshore wind energy by 2030 and we are currently at about five, either built or in build,' he continues. 'We believe that there is enough land in Ireland suitable for onshore wind that could get us to about fifteen megawatts. One of the things we are asking of government is to set us a target of 11k megawatts by 2035 and fifteen by 2040. We are asking that we be given us those targets, and they will enhance our possibilities.' Moran acknowledges that there are real and valid social and community barriers in the way of these goals and that targets aren't met just by writing them on a piece of paper. A harmonious coalition of suppliers, government, local administration and the citizenry has yet to fully form on the pace and nature of the solution. In view of this, if his fairy Godmother made him supreme leader for a day and granted him one public policy credit, where would he spend it? He mulls the question long and silently, and then greedily chooses two options. 'Planning and Grid. We need to work with the regions and the county councils to identify land for wind energy. We estimate about 1.8% of the land in Ireland is available for wind farm development. Each county council tends to have its own approach for zoning, but if we could get to the point where we had national approach on how to identify land and understand how much power you could generate from it the planning system would be transformed. "A lot of the cost is in how long the project has to stay in the planning system. We need to develop winds farms more affordably. This is the government's direction of travel, but it needs to happen, much, much faster.' The criticality of a robust infrastructure to harness and distribute electricity is to the front of his mind and at the top of his concerns. Electrical power is like an unsold airplane seat — once the plane takes off the asset perishes, and it can never be sold again. It is the same with electricity that cannot find a route to the grid. At times in Ireland, up to 14% of electricity can be wasted because the grid is not strong enough to process the power and onshore wind is instructed to shut down temporarily. It's a frustration that Moran wears heavily. 'We know that we can provide far more electricity than we will ever need in this country,' he maintains. 'The resource is astonishing; it boggles the mind, but one of the questions is what do we do with that surplus wind? First thing we could do is export it, one of the challenges is that we are a small, isolated island of an electricity grid, in mainland Europe, there is always somewhere for your power to go. "Another challenge is that Ireland is an expensive place to build a wind or solar farm which means that the prices in Britain or France are cheaper than us. So not only do you need an enormous amount of the resource, but you also need to be able to sell more cheaply than your competitors.' Moran is speaking less than a month after Spain and Portugal had gone dark for almost a day with an as yet clearly unexplained catastrophic grid failure. Sixty million people in first-world modern economies without power and the sum of all fears for 'energy-nerds' had come to pass. We Irish often run ourselves down, but where we have got to now with onshore is something we can be proud of. But if we want to fully get to that clean energy future, we need to get the projects through planning and we need a stronger grid. There is no sense in building a wind farm in Donegal or a solar farm in Spain if it cannot get the power to your house. The new renewable systems will have hundreds of generators, and they are not going to be located necessarily beside the bigger cities. You need a system to move that electricity, and this only works if you have a strong grid. Onshore wind farms reduce more carbon emissions than every other energy technology combined in this country, but decarbonisation is only the number two issue. The number one issue is that when you press your light switch something happens. The lights cannot go out.
BreakingNews.ie
6 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Ireland's offshore wind targets in serious jeopardy, industry warns
Ireland's offshore wind targets are in serious jeopardy and need immediate action from the Government, an industry group has warned. Wind Energy Ireland (WEI) has launched a plan this week where it recommends the Government resource planning authorities and key state agencies, give clarity on grid access and offshore auctions, and prioritise port expansion to ensure projects can be built on time. Advertisement The plan welcomed the progress made by government in recent years and calls for fast action in the delivery of policy commitments, with proper resourcing and funding to reflect the seriousness of the Government's commitment to the sector. There are 24 targeted actions split across four delivery areas, which includes maximising the south coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP), including progressing the Tonn Nua site auction and the future development of sites Li Ban, Manannan and Danu; and building vital infrastructure, including investment in ports, grid capacity and industrial demand to support offshore wind growth. Wind Energy Ireland chief executive Noel Cunniffe said: 'This plan is about restoring confidence – at home and abroad – in Ireland's offshore wind potential. 'We know what needs to be done. The industry stands ready to deliver, but it cannot do so without political urgency and whole-of-government leadership. The steps we set out today are not theoretical – they are essential. Advertisement 'We are now in a decisive window. If we want offshore wind to play a central role in lowering consumer energy bills, securing Ireland's energy independence and cutting carbon emissions, we need a clear pathway forward. That means removing barriers, resourcing delivery and creating certainty for investors. Ireland Report shows wind energy saved Ireland over €1.2 b... Read More 'The actions laid out in the plan will de-risk investment, accelerate planning and grid processes and ensure that critical infrastructure such as ports and grid access are available in time.' The wind energy industry group said Irish wind farms provided 32 per cent of Ireland's electricity in 2024. The plan is being published to coincide with WEI's annual Offshore Wind Conference being held in Dublin on Tuesday and Wednesday. Advertisement
Belfast Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Ireland's offshore wind targets in serious jeopardy, industry warns
Wind Energy Ireland (WEI) has launched a plan this week where it recommends the Government resource planning authorities and key state agencies, give clarity on grid access and offshore auctions, and prioritise port expansion to ensure projects can be built on time. The plan welcomed the progress made by government in recent years and calls for fast action in the delivery of policy commitments, with proper resourcing and funding to reflect the seriousness of the Government's commitment to the sector. There are 24 targeted actions split across four delivery areas, which includes maximising the south coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP), including progressing the Tonn Nua site auction and the future development of sites Li Ban, Manannan and Danu; and building vital infrastructure, including investment in ports, grid capacity and industrial demand to support offshore wind growth. Wind Energy Ireland chief executive Noel Cunniffe said: 'This plan is about restoring confidence – at home and abroad – in Ireland's offshore wind potential. 'We know what needs to be done. The industry stands ready to deliver, but it cannot do so without political urgency and whole-of-government leadership. The steps we set out today are not theoretical – they are essential. 'We are now in a decisive window. If we want offshore wind to play a central role in lowering consumer energy bills, securing Ireland's energy independence and cutting carbon emissions, we need a clear pathway forward. That means removing barriers, resourcing delivery and creating certainty for investors. 'The actions laid out in the plan will de-risk investment, accelerate planning and grid processes and ensure that critical infrastructure such as ports and grid access are available in time.' The wind energy industry group said Irish wind farms provided 32% of Ireland's electricity in 2024. The plan is being published to coincide with WEI's annual Offshore Wind Conference being held in Dublin on Tuesday and Wednesday.
