Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
228. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the proposed plans byESB to switch its power generation plant at Moneypoint in County Clare from coal to oil by 2025, and how this move will adversely affect the State's emissions instead of significantly reducing them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28500/23]
View answerSuccessive Climate Action Plans have committed to phasing-out peat and coal fired electricity generation as one of many measures to reduce carbon emissions in Ireland. This is an important step in the programme to deliver up to 80% renewable generation by 2030. The Government is currently implementing a range of policies and projects to support this objective including expanding onshore wind, offshore wind and solar generation in Ireland and increasing electricity interconnections. The implementation of the sectoral emissions ceilings will be an important part of driving this transformation and will ensure sectoral and climate policy stay closely aligned throughout the transition.
In November 2021, the Government Statement on Security of Supply approved that: "it is appropriate that existing conventional electricity generation capacity, including existing coal, heavy fuel oil and biomass fired generation, should be retained until the new conventional electricity generation capacity is developed in order to ensure security of electricity supply.” The Commission for Regulation of Utilities currently has a programme of actions underway to implement this statement and ensure the security of our electricity supply over the coming winters. The Security of Supply Programme of actions contains a number of both demand and supply side mitigation measures to address the forecasted capacity gap in the electricity sector. These actions include:
• procurement of new, enduring capacity through a number of capacity auctions;
• procuring additional temporary generation;
• extending the availability of existing generation capacity through the retention of older units for security of supply;
• additional use of grid-scale batteries; and
• improved demand side measures.
The Government’s stated policy position is that the retention of existing generation is both a necessary and critical component of our energy security at this time as the state works to rapidly develop additional temporary and enduring electricity generating capacity. This policy is given effect through the CRU Security of Supply Programme.
The Minister and Department has no decision-making role in relation to the future of ESB power stations. However, from a policy perspective all efforts to reduce the carbon intensity or improve the efficiency of retained units is welcome and important, for example, fuel switching where it would reduce carbon intensity, increasing the scope operational efficiency or flexibility and imposing operational constraints to minimise run hours for last-resort units.
As Ireland makes a secure transition to majority renewable electricity, conventional capacity will only operate if and when needed, with renewable energy and efficient gas-fired power stations always being supplied to the market first. This approach will also act to support the dual objectives of minimising the impact on greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring continued security of electricity supply.
