ESB to develop new battery units for power storage

The move is in addition to similar projects already announced for Cork and Dublin.

The announcement comes as concerns continue over the resilience of Ireland's energy supply systems.

ESB and energy storage company Fluence is to develop new battery storage units at two plants in Dublin. 

These are in addition to similar developments already under way in Dublin and Cork. When all are completed, the units will have the capacity to power approximately 321,000 homes and businesses in Ireland at times of peak demand.

The 38MWh project in Aghada, Co Cork and 60MWh unit in Inchicore, Dublin, are due for completion in early 2022. The addition of 150MWh at Poolbeg and 60MWh at South Wall in Dublin are due for completion in early 2023. 

The announcement comes as concerns continue over the resilience of Ireland's energy supply systems. The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities has announced a work programme to address potential shortfalls in power generation over the coming years.

All large corporate users of electricity could face "amber alerts" this winter to ensure households avoid blackouts. The alerts could see large users having to power down and manage their consumption over certain periods.

President for Fluence Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Paul McCusker, said the battery storage units represent a leap forward in terms of reliability for the electricity system, and will quickly add much-needed flexible capacity.