Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 November 2012
149. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the results to date arising from scientific research into the development of alternative energy sources with particular reference to wind energy, hydro or wave energy or other alternatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53580/12]
View answerScientific research into a range of alternative/ renewable energy sources has been taking place over many years, and continues to take place in Ireland and internationally. This is supported from both national and EU sources.
Such work can apply at various stages in the development path from idea to market: from basic research to applied research to development to demonstration to commercialisation. In the case of renewable energies, depending on the state of maturity of the technology, such research can focus on proof of concept (early research), or performance improvement, or cost efficiency. For the technologies referenced in the question, hydro and wind are more mature technologies whereas wave energy is still very much at the research and demonstration stage.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) hosts an energy research web portal on its website at http://www.seai.ie/Renewables/Energy_Research_Portal/ giving details on projects, technologies and research institutions. SEAI also annually publishes an inventory of energy research in Ireland, including renewable energies, on those pages.
The results of studies to date have indicated that wind energy is in the near term Ireland’s most abundant, technologically viable and cost competitive renewable energy resource and have further confirmed that the wind energy resource may contribute up to 40% of electricity demand without compromising a stable and reliable electricity system. It is therefore a renewable energy policy priority to utilise Ireland’s wind energy resource to the fullest extent possible to meet national 2020 EU renewable energy targets.
