Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2015
890. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the current capacity for wind generation, hydro-electric generation, biomass generation, bio-digester generation and solar generation within the Irish grid system; at capacity, the percentage of our 2020 targets that are being met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28210/15]
View answerThe 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020 and, in order to meet this target, Ireland is committed to meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources, 12% renewables in the heating sector and 10% in transport. Ireland has made good progress with regard to renewable energy deployment. To date, wind energy has been the largest driver of growth in renewable electricity. Provisional figures provided by the SEAI for 2014 show that 8.6% of Ireland's overall energy requirement was met by renewable energy. In addition, SEAI has calculated that 22.6% of electricity, 6.7% of heat and 5.2% of transport were met from renewable sources.
The details requested by the Deputy concerning the sources of renewable generation connected to the electricity grid are available from the Eirgrid website at http://www.eirgrid.com/customers/gridconnections/listofconnectedandcontractedgenerators/ and from ESB Networks athttp://www.esb.ie/esbnetworks/en/generator-connections/Connected-Contracted-Generators.jsp.
As regards quantum available the following table reflects the position at the end of June 2015:
|
RES-E Source |
MW (at June 2015) |
|
Hydro |
238 |
|
Wind |
2395 |
|
Biomass |
7 |
|
Biogas |
58 |
|
Municipal Waste |
9 |
|
Solar |
0.05 |
