Wind picks up to boost Irish power in past week amid  energy crunch

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Wind strength picked up last week, but it will take time to assess whether it can make up for earlier calm weather amid the energy supply crunch that has sent utility bills and heating bills surging this winter, figures suggest.

Wind accounted for 47% of all the power generated on the grid in the past week, according to figures provided to the Irish Examiner by grid operator Eirgrid.

Wind’s contribution is up sharply from the 33% share of previous weeks, and comes after a relatively windless 2021, say experts.

More wind energy is being added in recent years to help meet the Government’s climate change commitments, but at the same time demand for power across the all-Ireland grid is rising. 

Acute shortages of all types of energy across Europe this winter has led to soaring prices of gas and coal used to generate power.

Cold War-style tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine which is a major transit point for Russian gas to Germany and France have also helped push gas prices higher. In Ireland last week, gas accounted for 35%, and coal for 12%, of all the power on the grid.

The price of European wholesale gas for delivery in March, as tracked by the Irish Examiner, ticked higher yesterday.

The so-called TTF Dutch contract for March delivery rose slightly to €77.70, but the June contract, when prices would be expected to be falling, was trading at the hugely-elevated level €74.70.

That suggests the energy price crisis for Ireland and the rest of Europe is not going to go away anytime soon.

Cathal Ryan at Cornwall Insight Ireland, a consultancy that specialises in energy markets, said elevated prices of gas showed the increasing need to add more wind.