Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 31 January 2013
122. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which applications for wind farm generation electricity have been approved to date; the number of any such application still outstanding for whatever reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5018/13]
View answer124. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the currently identified main sources of alternative electricity generation; the extent to which each source is likely to develop in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5020/13]
View answer125. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will outline progress and development in respect of the various forms of alternatively generated electricity which now contribute to the national grid; the extent to which each has become a contributor and is likely to so do in the short and medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5021/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 122, 124 and 125 together. Directive 2009/28/EC known as the Renewable Energy Directive assigns a legally binding target of 16% on Ireland for the share of renewables in energy consumption by 2020. This target has to be met across the electricity, transport and heating sectors and a minimum of 10% in the transport sector is required. Ireland intends to meet the target through 40% renewable electricity, 10% renewable transport and 12% renewable heating, which amounts to 16% of overall energy consumption, commensurate with our target.
In terms of 40% renewable electricity to be achieved by 2020, the technologies through which this will be delivered has been largely determined by the grid connection offers to renewable generators. The grid connection process is vested in the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). CER published a Gate 3 direction in December 2008, which was specifically designed with the intention of providing for sufficient renewable energy grid connection offers to achieve 40% renewable electricity by 2020. The Gate 3 grid connection direction includes a list of specific renewable generating projects to receive grid connections and the type of renewable plant which each generator applied to build. The bulk of these are wind developments, which will play a key role in the delivery of our 2020 target.
In addition, the CER published a decision on the connection of small, low carbon renewable generators outside the Gate process (CER 09/99.) This mechanism specifically provides for the ability of small anaerobic digesters, biomass CHP plants, wave and tidal devices and other non-wind renewable low carbon generators to connect to the grid outside of the Gate process by 2020.
Given that at the time Gate 3 was designed, the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) anticipated that 5,800MW of renewable generation would be required and that the latest modelling from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) shows that approximately 4,000MW will now be required to meet 40% renewable electricity, it is considered that there is sufficient generation in the existing Gates, even if some projects ultimately don’t proceed to build.
In order to deliver on our 2020 targets, EirGrid and ESB Networks need to deliver on the implementation of the Grid 25 Plans. A large amount of grid upgrades and new grid build is required, in order for the projects in the existing Gate to be built out. Figures from the System Operators indicate that over 13,000MW of renewable generators have applied for grid connection offers additional to Gate 3. The take up of Gate 3 is not yet known, pending decisions by the SEM Committee on Scheduling and Dispatch and the issuance of updated constraint reports by EirGrid. The decision about any future Gate will have to be considered in the context of the take up of Gate 3, the delivery of our 2020 targets and the upgrading and development of the Grid and operational changes required to ensure 40% renewable electricity by 2020.
At end 2012, the generation figures for renewable electricity in Ireland were 2005 MW, broken down as follows:
- 1697 MW wind generation
- 216 MW large scale hydro
- 21 MW of small-scale hydro
- 71 MW of smaller renewable sources (CHP, solar and other bio-energy etc.).
Over 17% of our electricity consumption in 2012 was from renewable sources. While we still need to more than double that figure in the next 8 years, progress in recent years has been positive. The modelling carried out by SEAI for the First Progress Report on the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) indicates the following breakdown of technologies contributing to our 40% renewable electricity target: 3521MW of wind, 274MW of biomass technologies by 2020, 234MW of hydro and 75MW of wave and tidal technology.
