Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 November 2020
42. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the response by Ireland to the EU hydrogen strategy for a climate neutral Europe published in July 2020; the steps taken within his Department to assess the potential of the document; and if he plans to publish a national hydrogen strategy for Ireland. [37145/20]
View answerIn July, the European Commission published a hydrogen strategy for a carbon-neutral Europe. Ireland has welcomed the hydrogen strategy including the need to support the deployment of hydrogen produced from renewable sources as set out in the Programme for Government. It is clear that renewable hydrogen could play a key role in Ireland's future energy system as we move towards our target of net zero emissions by 2050. Ireland has considerable potential to produce renewable hydrogen from excess renewable electricity, particularly from offshore wind. This would provide a zero emission energy source for use in sectors that are difficult to decarbonise such as heavy goods vehicles and industry. My Department will continue to work with other departments, agencies and stakeholders to inform Ireland's input into the hydrogen strategy. This will include consideration of whether Ireland should seek to develop a stand-alone national hydrogen strategy or whether it would be more appropriate to integrate the actions needed to develop hydrogen into the next iterations of the Climate Action Plan and the National Energy and Climate Plan.
