Ireland at risk of energy crisis without gas reserve, warns environment minister
Pipes at the landfall facilities of the 'Nord Stream 2' gas pipline are pictured in Lubmin, northern Germany, on Feb. 15, 2022. Picture: AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File
Ireland would have as little as “three days of normal energy supply” if there was a major disruption to our gas supplies, environment minister Darragh O’Brien has said.
He said this was why the Government was supporting the development of a State-led strategic gas emergency reserve in the form of a commercial floating storage and regasification unit, or FSRU, in the Shannon terminal.
“I would be in dereliction of my duty if I ignored the advice we got about the risk to Ireland’s electricity generation – and the risk to Ireland full stop – if we did not have a strategic gas reserve,” Mr O’Brien told the Dáil.
The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) estimates that around 50% of Ireland's electricity generation is powered by gas.
Two gas pipelines from Scotland to Ireland are the source of 80% of gas usage in Ireland, with the remaining 20% coming from the Corrib gasfield.
Mr O’Brien told Labour TD Conor Sheehan that the proposal would be subject to regulatory approval and planning.
“All parties should support it because there is a risk to our country, society and economy if we do not build it,” he said.
Mr Sheehan said the Labour Party did not support the proposal. He said the party was concerned the emergency facility could become permanent and lock the country into fossil fuel dependence and put the country at risk of up to €26 billion in fines from the EU if Ireland doesn’t meet climate targets.
Mr O’Brien said the Programme for Government committed to a 51% cut in fossil fuel emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050, through making 80% of electricity generation from renewable sources – including from offshore wind farms – by 2030.
But he said independent experts have said there was a risk to the country’s energy system if gas supplies were interrupted: “If we had an event that disrupted the gas supply, be that from the Corrib gas field or Scotland, we would have maybe three days of normal energy supply.”
The minister added: “How would be run our hospitals, our businesses – those type of things.”
It is estimated the FSRU could supply the country’s entire gas needs for up to seven days.
As reported in the last week, DECC officials ran a detailed table-top exercise with all departments and relevant agencies, called Operation Cathal, last December, involving a major incident at one of the gas pipelines.
In this model, the gas pipeline would take "six months" to repair, meaning there would be a significant impact on supplies to high-energy industries, such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture and dairy as well as “rolling blackouts” spread across the country.
In addition, there would be impacts across critical sectors, from transport to health, and government services.
On related matters, including the impact of Storm Eowyn on telecommunication infrastructure, Mr O’Brien said his officials were working with industry on a plan to “improve network resilience” to deal with future severe weather events.
He said this department was also participating in the Storm Eowyn review process being led by the Department of Housing and Local Government.
In addition, he said mobile and fixed network operators had invested €5bn in capital expenditure upgrades over the last eight years, including measures on underground ducting, installation of back-up batteries and making 1,700 power generators available.
Mr O’Brien said his department was developing “a longer-term climate resilience plan” for communication networks.
He said two key EU laws – the Networks and Information Systems Directive (NIS2) and the Critical Entities Resilience Directive (CER) – were currently being implemented.
He said he had met both ESB Networks and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) on investing in the electricity grid and undertaking actions to “prepare for future storms and ensure resilience.”
This included an enhanced Winter 2025 Grid Resilience Plan, he said.
The minister said he also requested the CRU and ESB Networks to conduct a “full review” to determine if additional projects and investments were required to “future-proof” Ireland’s energy grid.
There are estimates that €13.4bn needs to be invested in the national energy grid over the coming years.
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