Business

Big jump in gas-generated electricity in May amid ‘changeable’ weather

‘There were periods when wind’s contribution fell away almost completely,’ say Gas Networks Ireland

While wind power peaked at almost a quarter of electricity generation during May, there were periods during the month when wind’s contribution fell away almost completely. Photograph: iStock

Ian Curran
Thu Jun 20 2024 - 10:12

More than half of Ireland’s electricity demand was met with natural gas last month, a “significant increase” as the amount of power generated through renewable sources dropped amid “changeable” weather, Gas Networks Ireland has said.

The gas network operator on Thursday said wind energy’s contribution decreased to just over a fifth in May to 22 per cent, with the onset of the typically low-wind summer months.

While wind power peaked at almost a quarter of electricity generation during the month, “there were periods during the month when wind’s contribution fell away almost completely,” said Gas Networks Ireland’s director of strategy and regulation, Edwina Nyhan said due to the “changeable nature” of the weather last month.

Overall, gas accounted for 55 per cent of the electricity generated by power stations in the Republic last month – a notable increase on previous months from 42 per cent in April, 36 per cent in March, 37 per cent in February and 44 per cent in January.

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“in May, gas was the largest contributor to Ireland’s electricity, powering up to 81 per cent of the country’s electricity at times and never dropping below 20 per cent,” said Ms Nyhan. “Such fluctuations highlight the importance of the gas network in providing resilience to the energy system, which will be critical as more renewables come on to the electricity grid.”

Overall gas demand – both as a source of home heating and a source of electricity generation – increased 3 percentage points in the month despite sharp declines in demands from particular sectors, Gas Networks Ireland said. Demand from the education sector slumped by more than a half and fell by more than a fifth in the healthcare and retail sectors.

The volume of gas used as alternative fuel for transport, meanwhile, continued to climb, jumping 28 per cent in the 12 months to the end of May, Gas Networks Ireland said. It comes just a week after Flogas opened the first dedicated Bio-CNG refuelling self-service station in the Republic.

Ian Curran

Ian Curran

Ian Curran is a Business reporter with The Irish Times

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