The pace of delivery of wind projects needs to accelerate fast if Ireland is to achieve its renewable energy targets, says Jenny Howard, Head of Development, EDF Renewables Ireland.
A version of this article first appeared in re:News during Wind Energy Ireland’s annual conference 14-15 February 2023
There’s never been a more exciting time for the Irish wind industry, with two RESS auctions under its belt, a first offshore auction on the horizon, and a growing number of projects seeking planning applications.
The health of the market is underlined by the number of developers now active in securing sites, and this is testament not only to the excellent wind conditions on offer, but also the stable and supportive policy environment.
Why wind power matters in Ireland
Despite some high-profile objectors, our industry has always enjoyed great support from the wider public, who understand and appreciate the critical role wind energy plays in the fight against climate change.
In the past 18 months we have also seen the economic benefits of a vibrant wind industry really start to hit home – as it enabled Ireland to spend €2bn less on imported gas in 2022.[1] There is growing recognition that every additional wind turbine is helping to drive down the cost of electricity for households and businesses alike.
But this excitement is tempered by challenges. We are less than seven years away from 2030, and the pace of delivery of wind projects will have to greatly accelerate if our renewable energy targets are to be achieved.
Building the future grid infrastructure
There are of course a number of obstacles to doing so, but one in particular stands out as the most significant to electrifying Ireland’s economy and society, and that is the urgent need to build new, high-voltage grid infrastructure and increase connectivity and capacity on the system.
This is all the more true in those parts of the country where our wind resource is greatest, but where there are too few connection points for those projects to easily access the national grid. As a result, the projects that could make the greatest impact and have some of the highest generating capacities can end up sitting on the shelf for years at a time.
Over the years there have been a number of plans in place to put Ireland’s grid capacity on a par with its renewable energy ambitions. But too often they have remained just that: plans.
The industry urgently needs to see a substantial programme of investment, innovation and upgrading of Ireland’s national grid, to increase the number of connection points and overall capacity on the system in time to deliver on our 2030 renewable energy targets. Doing so will be all the more important as new demand comes online, and the risk of constraints and curtailment increases.
Prioritising planning
This is not to deny the importance of other obstacles to streamlining the delivery of projects and achieving the thriving wind industry we’re all working towards.
Delays in the planning system are an ongoing issue, and the upcoming Planning and Development Bill will need to be adequately resourced if it is to make a real contribution to tackling this. As we all know, however, substantial infrastructure development takes time, something that is in relatively short supply if we wish to truly capitalise on Ireland’s immense renewable energy potential.
Let’s make Ireland a renewables leader
We have so much to be proud of in Ireland when it comes to the amount of our electricity currently supplied by renewable energy. Wind energy alone is consistently accounting for over a third of all electricity generated, and our 75% System Non-Synchronous Penetration (SNSP) makes us a world leader in the amount of renewable electricity our system can accommodate.
But ensuring projects can connect into the system to take advantage of this remains the key challenge facing the wind industry today, and as we approach 2030 that challenge will only become greater.
Find out more about our plans in Ireland at www.edf-re.ie/about/ireland/
About EDF Renewables Ireland
EDF Renewables Ireland is part of one of the world’s largest electricity companies and our investment and innovation in renewable energy projects is reducing costs for consumers and bringing significant benefits to communities.
EDF Renewables Ireland’s team has a wealth of experience in bringing complex development projects to fruition, across onshore and offshore wind, solar PV and battery storage technology, and is supported by more than 400 colleagues in the UK.
In 2020 we acquired 50% of Codling Wind Park, a major offshore wind farm which will be located off the coast of Co. Wicklow, with a dedicated team who have begun developing the project, and 100% of Wexford Solar, which includes eight solar projects across Ireland. In total we have an Irish onshore development pipeline of almost 1GW.
In the UK, EDF Renewables an operating portfolio of 36 wind farms and two battery storage units (together totalling almost 1GW).
EDF Renewables operates in more than 20 countries around the world.
[1] Wind provided 34 per cent of Ireland’s power and cut spending on gas by €2 billion last year (windenergyireland.com)
