Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 25 May 2021
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action
Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed)
Mr. Dara Lynott:
Sooner rather than later, would be the answer to the Deputy's question. Our study is a snapshot of the future. It mentions 1.1 GW of battery storage. If we are to minimise the dispatch down of renewables, we need that quantum of battery storage. Already, I know that the auctions, regulators and EirGrid are seeking proposals for battery storage and are ramping that up. With our study, we are trying to provide that snapshot of the future. We want to highlight that it is all interconnected. If we do not have the interconnectors, there will be a problem. If we want to reduce dispatch down, we need batteries. If we want to achieve the ambition, we need to build grid, be innovative about using it and we need to switch. It is all interrelated. It is very difficult to single out storage and argue that will be the solution at a particular time. Like much of the work that is currently under way, we need to make decisions now in order that they are in place by 2030. Battery development is one solution. There are technologies available. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any long-term storage battery solutions out there beyond what I have already mentioned about the number of Tesla Powerwalls that will be needed. Therefore, we must look at pumped-water and pumped-air storage. Those are technologies that would allow for hours of storage as back-up for the Dunkelflaute. Obviously, if there is widespread use of batteries along with generation, that will also dampen the peak demand and the backup that we would need. Perhaps Mr. Douglas has something to add to the discussion.