Covid-19 lockdown 'may help Ireland avoid €600m EU fine over carbon target'

Ireland generated up to a third of its annual power generation from wind and was widely believed to be set to miss the 40% renewables target and therefore trigger the huge EU fines by the end of the year. Photo: File photo

The Government may be set to avoid huge EU carbon-emitting fines of as much as €600m this year after the Covid-19 lockdown led to a slump in electricity demand and helped boost the share of power generated on the grid by wind rather than fossil fuels, a senior energy expert has said.

James Goldsmith, senior consultant at Cornwall Insight Ireland, said it was widely anticipated in Government and energy industry circles that Ireland would be fined between €200m and €600m for missing the EU carbon-reduction target in which it pledged to lift the share of power it generates from renewables to 40% of the total power generated.