Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019
884. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the full extent of energy generated from non-fossil fuels and made available to the grid in the course of 2018 with particular reference to the extent to which the full grid requirement can be met from such sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1744/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total amount of renewable generation connected to the grid at October 2018 was 3,857MW, of which wind generation was approximately 3,508MW, hydro was 238MW and biomass was 91MW. Eirgrid estimates that a total of between 3,900MW and 4,300MW of onshore renewable generation capacity will be required to allow Ireland to achieve 40% renewable electricity by 2020. The Energy in Ireland 2018 Report was published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in December 2018. The report sets out the progress that Ireland has made in reducing reliance on fossil fuels for transport, heating and electricity production. Renewable electricity (or non-fossil fuel) generation accounted for 30.1% of gross electricity consumption in 2017. Corresponding data for the year 2018 is not available yet.The Report also states that renewable energy use grew by 52% between 2013 and 2017. Notwithstanding this, over 90% of all energy used in Ireland in 2017 was from fossil fuels.
Details of the proportions of electricity generated from oil, gas, coal, wind, solar or other renewable sources are available in Table 8 “Growth rates, quantities and shares of electricity generated by fuel” on page 29 of the Report.
The EU Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland is committed to achieving this target through meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heat and 10% of transport from renewable sources of energy. The SEAI analysis states that 10.6% of Ireland's overall energy requirements in 2017 were met from renewable sources.
