Switch to wind can save €24bn

WIND-GENERATED energy can save up to €24 billion in fuel costs by 2015, according to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

The organisation, which marked Global Wind Day earlier this week — added that on a continent-wide basis — these savings could jump to €87bn by 2020.

EWEA claimed that in three-and-a-half years Europe can take away €15.1bn of coal costs, €6.4bn of gas costs and reduce its combined oil costs by €1.7bn by using wind as its primary renewable energy source.

Based on the International Energy Agency’s fuel costs data, EWEA said that by 2020 the use of wind power will “avoid” €87bn of fuel costs: €46bn of avoided gas costs, €27bn of avoided coal costs, nearly €10bn of avoided oil costs and €4bn of avoided biomass costs to produce electricity.

“Rising fossil fuel prices, devastating oil spills and the nuclear crisis in Fukushima have — in 2011 — substantially raised expectations of wind energy,” the association said.

At the end of a week that began with the threat of rising gas prices later in the year, Irish renewable energy specialists have suggested a switch to wind is the best option for lowering fuel costs here and further boosting export business.

Brian Britton of the National Offshore Wind Association of Ireland (NOW Ireland) said: “Ireland remains heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels, spending billions on buying oil and gas overseas.

“While gas is likely to remain a significant part of our energy mix as we shift to a low carbon economy, we can reverse the drain on our exchequer by developing our renewable resources, particularly large scale offshore wind projects,” Mr Britton said.

“By doing so, not only will we reduce our own energy bill, we will also open up a new multi-billion euro export market for Irish businesses.

“The decisions of both German and Italian governments to abandon their nuclear energy programmes will only serve to increase the opportunity open to Irish companies,” the NOW Ireland spokesman added.