Electricity
The gas network powers more than 50% of Ireland’s electricity generation and can play an important role in supporting the decarbonisation of electricity generation.
A pathway to decarbonise electricity by 2050
18%
Electricity accounts for 18% (10.9Mt CO₂) of Ireland's total CO₂ emissions
70%
By 2030, Ireland's target is for 70% of electricity generation from renewables
How electricity is generated in Ireland
Gas accounted for over 50% of electricity generation in 2017
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Gas | 51 |
| Renewable | 29 |
| Coal | 12 |
| Peat | 7 |
| Other non-renewable | 1 |
Why gas?
Why gas and the gas network provide a smart solution to decarbonising electricity.
Wind and solar energy are intermittent energy sources, which means they are not always available when needed. The gas network provides essential back up and energy security when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. #Vision2050 #renewableenergy #CleanerEnergyFuture
Our vision to decarbonise electricity
Short to medium term
Support increased intermittent renewables
Use the large energy storage capacity and flexibility of natural gas power plants to enable a high level of intermittent renewable electricity on the grid.
Replace peat and coal power plants with gas
Replace coal and peat fired power plants with high efficiency gas power plants to immediately reduce emissions.
Long-term
What we are doing
Gas and electricity are already working in harmony, with gas playing a key role in underpinning Ireland’s electricity supply and complementing intermittent renewable electricity sources. Gas reliably provides more than 50% of Ireland’s electricity generation on average and as much as 85% at peak times when the wind doesn’t blow and sun doesn’t shine.
Power plants
Convert Moneypoint to natural gas
Moneypoint is Ireland’s largest power plant. It operates on coal, one of the heaviest carbon emitting fuels. As natural gas produces 40% less CO2 than coal, converting Moneypoint to natural gas would deliver significant and immediate emissions reductions.
Regulations
Gas and electricity can play complementary roles in decarbonising Ireland’s energy system. A joint approach to policy development and systems planning will deliver a cleaner energy future for Ireland while maximising synergies for energy customers.
Leverage Power to Gas solutions
Hydrogen can be made from renewable electricity and stored until needed. Using Power to Gas could provide a way to store excess renewable energy to ensure it is not wasted.
Hydrogen and Ireland’s National Gas Network
Hydrogen and Ireland’s National Gas Network, provides a high-level overview to interested parties of the current gas regulations and plans. It outlines the main areas that will need to be addressed and actions required in order to facilitate the injection, transportation and storage of hydrogen on the gas network in Ireland. Gas Networks Ireland believes hydrogen will play a critical role in decarbonising the gas network and is supportive of projects, which aim to deliver hydrogen to energy customers, for end-uses such as space heating, transport, industry and dispatchable electricity generation, in a safe and secure manner. While there are different possible hydrogen supply chains, Gas Networks Ireland believes that the re-use and re-purposing of existing gas network infrastructure is a cost-effective gas transportation model. However, currently the Code of Operations by which the gas network is operated in Ireland does not allow for the injection of hydrogen into the gas network.