Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 29 March 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action

Energy Challenges: Discussion

Mr. Jim Gannon:

We would hope so. We will still have periods of significant low wind. Part of what offshore wind offers us, in fact, is extra capacity factor. Onshore, the wind tends to blow less frequently than offshore. The offshore turbines are that bit bigger and can access more wind because they tend to be on more than onshore turbines. That will also help. However, we will still be in a position where, for the majority of our electricity demand, we will need those domestic sources. When the wind does not blow, it becomes, and remains, challenging. However, that is not to say that the other interconnectors could not support in delivering the timeframe.