Mr. Pat Keating:

I do not think so because for example, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, MaREI, has stated that once we electrify transport and industrial heat, our grid requirements will be 27 GW by 2050.

Phase 1 of Foynes, for example, and the Green Atlantic Moneypoint projects, are 10 GW by 2050. The domestic demand is going to grow pretty exponentially from where it is today anyway but it comes back to the holistic approach. We require the grid, obviously offshore and onshore, to be improved as well to be able to accommodate that type of increase. It is currently around 5.5 to 6 GW. Domestic demand is actually going to be quite significant. However, the route-to-markets are potentially hydrogen production but there are also a number of others such as interconnection with Ireland to the likes of France and the UK. There is the hybrid model where power could be sold directly from the offshore sites and not have to land that grid in Ireland. Therefore, there are a number of different route-to-market strategies. There is also a big opportunity because the green energy we are producing will be in huge demand and we should be able to attract in more value added to the shores of Ireland, in downstream users such as chip manufacturers, data centres and all of that. Once we have our turbines producing zero carbon energy, that will be a huge selling point for Ireland Inc. There is a lot of opportunity to grow through private wires as well where the power would be brought ashore and the users would be located shoreside in this energy concept model. There is also potential there. However, the first part of all of this is ensuring we get out of the blocks. The system is being overhauled. As I said, a lot of work has been done over the recent months to ensure that is happening. We just need to keep the foot down and the timelines around designated marine area plans, DMAPS, marine area consents, MACS, and the maritime area regulatory authority, MARA, at this state are important. The funding piece for the enabling structure infrastructure is critically important as well.