Over 36% of Irish electricity produced by wind power in January

The total electricity demand last month was 3,831 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of power and wind energy generated 1,379 GWh.

More than a third (36%) of electricity used in Ireland in January was generated by wind power, a report has shown.

The latest figures from Wind Energy Ireland on Friday show that while the demand for electricity last month was slightly higher when compared to the same period last year, the amount of electricity generated by wind farms was one of the highest ever recorded in January.

The total electricity demand last month was 3,831 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of power and wind energy generated 1,379 GWh.

Noel Cunniffe, Wind Energy Ireland's chief executive, said 2023 was a record-breaking year for wind power generation in Ireland and expects to see wind farms building on their success this year.

"New wind farms, along with solar and battery projects, will be connecting before the end of 2024 which will further reduce Ireland’s emissions, but we really need to accelerate the delivery of onshore and offshore renewable projects if we are to achieve a zero-carbon society for Ireland," he said.

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Mr Cunniffe said it is important to secure the supply of affordable and reliable wind energy to protect consumers from high energy prices driven by fossil fuels.

Friday's report also found that the average wholesale price of electricity in January has fallen to €99.90 per megawatt-hour, down from €163.16 in 2023.

On days when the most wind power was generated, the average cost per megawatt-hour dropped to just over €68 but rose to €130.30 when Irish energy relied solely on fossil fuel.

Mr Cunniffe said the fall in wholesale prices was welcome news, adding: "Electricity generated from Irish wind farms replaces expensive imported fossil fuels and by adding more wind power to the system, we can cut our carbon emissions and cut our electricity bills."