Business

Renewable energy sources provide over 40% of electricity in October

EirGrid notes wind farms account for majority of renewable electricity generated at just under 35%

Renewable energy sources provided just over 40 per cent of electricity in Ireland during October. File photograph
Renewable energy sources provided just over 40 per cent of electricity in Ireland during October. File photograph
Fiona Keeley
Fri Nov 01 2024 - 17:05

Renewable energy sources provided just over 40 per cent of electricity in Ireland during October, according to new data released on Friday.

Grid operator EirGrid said a combination of wind, solar and hydropower energy provided 40.4 per cent of the total demand for electricity.

Wind farms accounted for the majority of electricity generated, at just under 35 per cent of all power used in the State.

Some 1,003 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy was generated by wind during the month, marking the third time wind energy in the country has exceeded 1,000 GWh in October.

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Director of systems operations Diarmaid Gillespie said this was the first time renewable energy measurements had surpassed 1,000 GWh since March 2024 with a return of windy conditions. The data shows national electricity demand in October this year was 2,899 GWh.

“The fact that this form of generation is making a contribution to the electricity being used around the country demonstrates the progress that is being made in this area, and the benefits of being able to rely on a range of sources to maximise the availability of renewable generation in all seasons,” said Mr Gillespie.

The Government has set a target of 80 per cent of power to be generated from renewable energy sources by 2030 under its 2023 Climate Action Plan. The grid can currently hold up to 75 per cent of electricity from renewable sources at one time.

In solar energy, 52 GWh of electricity came from grid-scale solar panels in October, a rise on the same month last year when 32 GWh was registered. Overall, grid-scale solar panels accounted for 1.8 per cent of electricity throughout the month.

However, electricity generated by gas accounted for 42.5 per cent of total demand. Twelve per cent of gas was imported.

Another 3.7 per cent of power came from burning coal, while the final 1 per cent was from sources such as peat, distillate and co-production – using a primary fuel such as natural gas.

The 2023 Shaping Our Electricity Future report, published by EirGrid and Northern Ireland operator Soni, showed goals such as establishing hybrid connections for electric vehicles, creating long duration energy storage and progressing new and existing grid projects are among the steps required to reach ambitions for renewable energy by 2030.

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