Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Chairman and Senator O'Reilly covered a few of the points I was hoping to raise. One relates to LNG. It is positive that there is an inquiry and a focus on emissions at production point, as the witnesses mentioned. It is in line with some of the scoped rethinking around emissions captures. There is huge concern around methane emissions from fracking, in particular. It is the question on the locking-in of imports. A previous regime in the US was looking at withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. There is a concern - and perhaps the witnesses might comment on it - about how we would basically insulate if, for example, infrastructure around the importation of LNG was put in place, contracts associated with that infrastructure were concluded, and subsequently, we found ourselves in a position where a country, such as the US, decided to roll back on any monitoring or proper engagement on methane.

I will ask two or three specific questions. Perhaps the witnesses could comment on the European Network of Network Operators for Hydrogen, ENNOH, which is a new body that has been proposed to regulate the hydrogen market, and the concern that at the moment there does not seem to be a requirement for unbundling. Oil and gas producers could effectively play a key role in that new regulation of hydrogen space if they also have a hydrogen division. Again, I highlight the importance of separating that. Of course, it does create a tension and a conflict of interest if major gas companies are playing a key role in hydrogen. That, of course, pushes us towards green hydrogen again.

The Chairman asked a question on the grid. Is the vision electrification with support for electrification from green hydrogen or a new version of gas infrastructure with perhaps a little more green hydrogen in there? They are almost different visions for what comes next in Europe. They are major questions regarding investment. That is why Ireland really should champion the fight against the dilution of the taxonomy. Ireland is in a position to paint that picture of green hydrogen as a supplement to electrification image and, indeed, to support that across Europe. In respect of the taxonomy piece, if there is dilution, it will not only mean investment going in to gas, gas infrastructure and the prolongation of gas infrastructure, but it is also investment that will go against the truly sustainable future in terms of green hydrogen. There is a tension. I ask the witnesses to comment on whether Ireland is really championing that alternative vision. Do we see that there is a conflict? Is it the case that the interests of green hydrogen not necessarily being fully represented within the gas infrastructure narrative, and in fact, may be at odds with it in that sense? While it can be a part of gas infrastructure, it is always going to be downstream in terms of investment, particularly when we see developments like the Nordstream 2 pipeline. In terms of security for the long term, we know there is greater security in a truly renewable source.