Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My second question is on security of supply, which the CRU dealt with at the end of its opening statement. Reference is made to the different options around security of supply, including battery storage. Is there an opportunity in the very short term to procure battery storage for public buildings? I am thinking of public hospitals in particular. Cork University Hospital, CUH, has always had a really good approach to energy and has tried to be as sustainable and green as possible but it is still a significant energy user in the Cork region. The hospital would have peak-time levels of usage almost throughout the day. It has been suggested that we could procure battery storage.

That battery storage would be acquired in off-peak times and distributed during peak hours of 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. or whatever it is. I have heard this could be done in a place like Cork University Hospital, CUH, for around €1 million. It sounds like a lot but in terms of preventing potential electricity supply issues during winter, it is something we have to look at. If on a wider scale across the health sector and HSE you can procure battery storage, charge the batteries off peak and distribute them during peak hours, it would take massive pressure off the grid during peak hours. Has that been looked at? Could it be recommended?