Republic vulnerable over energy imports

IRELAND is one of the most vulnerable countries in the European Union when it comes to energy supply and must diversify to ensure supplies for the future, the European Commission says.

Ireland is one of eight EU countries that gets all its imported gas from a single supplier — Russia — and is one of the countries most dependent on oil imports for electricity generation.

A package of energy proposals released by the commission to address the twin problems of harmful emissions and energy security includes a €1 trillion EU-wide super grid linking electricity supplies; a €150bn gas network and a significant investment in alternative energy sources.

This coincides with the decision by the Commissioner for Energy Regulation (CER) to increase fivefold the amount of green energy — mostly wind — connected to the electricity grid over the coming years.

The €4bn expansion of Ireland’s national grid announced last month and new connectors to Britain and possibly directly to France will all feed into the planned EU super grid.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Eamon Ryan welcomed the commission’s proposals and said: “Grid expansion is vital to cut our dependence on imported fossil fuels, enhance energy security and allow increased amounts of renewables to come on stream. It will help free up energy supplies around Europe and further cooperation between states.”

The plan, released on the eve of the annual EU-Russia summit, sends a clear signal also to Russia that it cannot expect to play politics with energy forever. The cutting of supplies through Ukraine and bombing close to pipelines in Georgia rattled all European leaders.

Announcing the proposals, commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said: “We will not sleepwalk into Europe’s energy dependence crisis. We must learn the lessons from the economic crisis.”

Designed to address the challenges up to 2050, the plans include new gas pipelines that would break Russia’s stranglehold on gas supplies as its Gazprom controls all existing pipelines into Europe.

At present Europe gets 42% of its gas, 34% of its oil and 26% of its hard coal from Russia and all these will increase substantially over the next few years unless alternatives are found.

Currently Europe imports 54% of its energy at an average cost of €700 per person and this is expected to grow to 73% by 2020. Imports are higher for Ireland.

Mr Barroso said the EU must pool and work together to diversify energy supplies. Member states, including Germany and Italy, have broken ranks with the rest of the EU and done separate deals with the Russians on pipelines and supplies.

Mr Barroso said they will consider forcing members to notify the EU about energy investment projects.

The first priority, said Mr Barroso, is to adopt and implement the measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, have 20% of energy from renewables and make a 20% saving in future energy demand by 2020.