Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 30 January 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action

General Oversight of EirGrid: Discussion

Dr. Liam Ryan:

I wish to pick up that point. We are planning the power system for a 50% demand increase and for the 80% renewable targets that the Government set down. We are very clear about that. We are also very conscious of how we utilise all the renewables we possibly can at the time they are available. Part of that will involve getting the right storage solutions to move that power more flexibly with regard to what we are trying to do and making sure that, into the future, we continue to do it. One of the key elements we call out - we are very clear on this - is that the conventional generators that Mr. Foley spoke about need to be renewable fuel-ready into the future. If we will hit the future targets in respect of decarbonising the full economy, we need to make sure the generators we are now purchasing can be capable of running on hydrogen, green ammonia or whatever fuel is available at that point in time. That is a key part of how you go on that transition as well.