Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

208. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the measures he is taking to address the barriers to hybrid connections to facilitate wind, solar and battery technology on the same site for example; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27820/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Hybrid connections play a key role in providing flexibility to the Irish electricity system and helping to increase the volume of renewable energy on the grid.

Climate Action Plan 2023 sets out a specific action to 'Ensure that hybrid technology grid connections are facilitated, and remaining barriers removed'. The objective of this action is to accelerate investments in renewable power by allowing more than one renewable power source or related technology, such as storage, to share a grid connection.

This action is led by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), in conjunction with EirGrid and ESB Networks and is due to be completed by Q4 2023. CRU has started to work with EirGrid and ESB Networks on the technical, commercial and legal issues involved.

Additionally, the second Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS 2) recognised the important role of hybrid connections in delivering renewable targets and introduced, for the first time, the option for developers to couple renewable electricity generation types along with storage facilities on their project site.

Supported technologies within RESS 2 and now RESS 3, include onshore wind, solar and hybrids (co-located wind and solar, co-located wind and storage, or co-located solar and storage). A number of such hybrid projects were successful in the RESS 2 auction and Government will continue to support hybrid projects in this manner. Standalone storage projects, such as batteries, are not eligible for support under the RESS if they are not part of a hybrid project and rather are incentivised through the wholesale electricity market mechanisms.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

209. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the date on which the green hydrogen strategy will be published; if he will provide an update on its development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27821/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

A hydrogen strategy for Ireland is being finalised by my Department.

Hydrogen provides us with an incredible opportunity in Ireland. It provides the potential for long duration energy storage, dispatchable renewable electricity, the opportunity to decarbonise some parts of high temperature processing and a potential export market opportunity, given Ireland's offshore renewable energy potential. The strategy will provide certainty to industry on the role and priority end-uses that hydrogen is envisioned to play in decarbonising our economy, as well as what needs to be done to enable the development of Ireland's hydrogen industry, delivering an important first step in the establishment of a significant hydrogen industry in Ireland.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

210. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment in the wake of ORESS 1 and in advance of ORESS 2, if consideration is being given to an auction process which assesses projects not solely based on price but on other factors such as track-record, readiness of project, planning approvals and so on; what the benefits of either approach are; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27822/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The provisional results of the first offshore wind auction, ORESS 1, announced on 11 May 2023, were hugely positive, both in terms of the volume procured, over 3GW, and the average price secured, at €86.05 per megawatt hour, which is one of the lowest prices paid by an emerging offshore wind market in the world. The capacity procured in ORESS 1 will go a long way to ensuring that we achieve our Climate Action Plan targets for 2030 of at least 5 GW of offshore wind and 80 % of our electricity demand met by renewable energy sources.

While successful projects were ultimately selected in ORESS 1 based on price, in order to enhance deliverability of successful projects, this selection process was preceded by a rigorous qualification stage. This included the requirement for participating projects to hold a Grid Connection Assessment from EirGrid, with a Maximum Export Capacity corresponding to the ORESS 1 Offer Quantity, and a Maritime Area Consent, which itself required significant financial and technical capability assessments. The ORESS 1 process therefore included both quantitative and qualitative assessments.

My Department is already preparing the auction design for auctions which align with my Department's plan-led Phase Two offshore wind policy. The first of these auctions, ORESS 2.1, is planned to launch before the end of the year, and will award a contract within a Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) site off our south coast. I expect to publish a public consultation document next month on the design of ORESS auctions in Phase Two. That document will set out the proposed auction design, including both quantitative and qualitative elements, and will invite stakeholders to submit their views to further inform the process.

The ORESS 2 design is likely to include a range of qualification criteria to be met by parties wishing to bid in the auction, including financial and technical criteria. All additional criteria, such as those suggested by the Deputy, will be considered as part of the ORESS 2 consultation and design process.