Under a process established by the Commission for Energy Regulation, renewable generators apply for a grid connection to either EirGrid (for the high voltage transmission grid) or to ESB Networks (for the lower or medium voltage distribution system). The information on hydro-electric water dams (valid up to 1st November 2011) is available on the EirGrid (Transmission system Operator — TSO) website at www.eirgrid.com and is listed in the following table.
Status
|
TSO/DSO
|
No. Applications
|
Total MEC (MW)
|
Connected
|
TSO
|
14
|
212.0
|
Connected
|
DSO
|
56
|
25.4
|
Contracted
|
DSO
|
3
|
0.9
|
Energised
|
DSO
|
2
|
0.1
|
Live
|
DSO
|
2
|
0.1
|
Queue
|
DSO
|
1
|
0
|
As can be seen from the table, there are currently 14 hydro installations totalling 212MW connected to the transmission system, and 56 hydro installations totalling 25.4MW connected to the distribution system. Beyond that, there are a further 3 hydro installations totalling 0.9MW that are contracted for connection, 2 totalling 0.1MW which are energised (i.e. construction complete but not yet able to export to the grid), 2 totalling 0.1MW that are live (i.e. in receipt of a grid connection offer) and one that is in the queue (i.e. seeking an offer.)
Pumped hydro storage projects are not "run of river" hydro using dams on rivers. Turlough Hill is a pumped storage project not included in the above figures. Under the energy regulator's Gate group processing approach, EirGrid issued connection offers to two pumped storage projects totalling 70MW. One of these offers was not taken up. A further 8 applications totalling 2270MW have been submitted to the system operators in respect of grid connections for hydro pumped storage. These applications are not currently part of any Gate process.