Sir, – Taoiseach Simon Harris and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe recently stated that Ireland will become a renewable energy exporter in future, without spelling out the clear timeline or pathway to that prized but elusive goal (“State plans to export renewable electricity as interconnector expansion to Europe and UK agreed”, News, July 26th).
Some equate this notion with Ireland becoming the Saudi Arabia of wind energy because of our offshore wind resources.
However, it has yet to be demonstrated in detail how Ireland will magically morph from currently being one of the smallest generators of renewable electricity in the EU, for instance 1.5 GWh on the July 15th last, to boosting EU future renewable supplies. Also we do not know how to deal with the unpredictability of wind, particularly the frequent prolonged periods when weather conditions are becalmed.
At best, Ireland, with an installed capacity of 5 GW, on average generates around 26 GWh of electricity per day from wind (Europewind.org) while the EU daily generates over 2,300 GWh at 30 per cent wind share.
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The EU today has a total daily demand of around 7,500 GWh which it is estimated, along with rapidly developing renewables, will double by 2050.
Even with the proposed installed capacity of 37 GW, Ireland should generate about 100 to 350 GWh per day depending on the vagaries of wind share, much of which will be required for substantially increased home consumption and a tiny fraction of projected European energy demand.
It would be instructive therefore if the Taoiseach or the Minister would explain in detail how Ireland will achieve this much anticipated if delusional goal. – Yours, etc,
JOHN LEAHY,
Cork.