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Electricity Generation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 December 2013

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

Questions (92, 93, 94)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

92. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which it is expected to replace electricity generation from fossil fuels with alternatives in the short and medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52184/13]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

93. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will set out the national targets for the replacement of electricity generation from non-fossil fuels; the extent to which these targets are currently being met; his plans to so do; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52185/13]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

94. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which integrated plans have been developed to increase electricity generation from wind and or other sources over the next ten years; the extent to which it is expected to meet, in full or a portion thereof, the economic requirements over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52186/13]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 to 94, inclusive, together.

The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. Ireland is currently heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. While it is acknowledged that fossil fuels will remain part of the energy mix for some time to come, progress is being made towards increasing the share of renewable energy in our energy requirements. The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. In order to meet this target, Ireland is committed to meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources.

The Renewable Energy Directive also requires that Member States set out in a National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) their trajectories towards meeting these targets. Ireland’s NREAP, which is available on my Department’s website, assumes Ireland’s 16% target will be met incrementally at around 1% per annum. Provisional figures for 2012 indicate that 7.1% of our overall energy requirements and 19.6% of electricity demand were met from renewable sources.

The primary support mechanisms for renewable electricity in Ireland are the Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) schemes. These schemes are designed to incentivise the development of electricity generation capacity from a range of renewable sources including wind, biomass and hydropower.

To date wind energy has been the largest driver of growth in renewable electricity, contributing most towards the achievement of the 2020 target. In 2012, 15.3% of Ireland's electricity demand was met by wind generation. At the end of quarter three this year, the total amount of renewable generation connected to the grid was approx. 2,100 MW. It is estimated that a total of between 3,500 and 4,000 MW of onshore renewable generation capacity will be required to allow Ireland to meet its 40% renewable electricity target. Currently, approximately 3,000 MW of renewable generation has taken up connection offers under the Gate 3 grid connection programme.

The development of the clean, indigenous, renewable energy resources, which Ireland is fortunate to have in abundance, holds the prospect of reducing our reliance on expensive fossil fuel imports, thereby improving our energy security, and opening up opportunities for the engineering, ICT and communication sectors with consequent potential for job creation. This potential is already recognised by the IDA and Enterprise Ireland in their clean technologies strategies.

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