Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 55 and 59 together. The Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, has statutory responsibility for grid connection offers and for oversight of EirGrid's grid connection process. Currently, there is in the region of 1,400 megawatts, MW, of renewable generation capacity connected to the electricity grid. Wind powered technology is the dominant renewable technology. Approximately 100 individual windfarms have been connected with a combined capacity of approximately 1,100 MW. Some 240 MW of hydro-power are connected. The balance represents biomass plant, mainly landfill gas.

The contribution from renewable energy connected to the electricity grid is increasing very steadily from year to year. Renewable generation contributed 12.2% of all electricity consumed in 2008 compared to just 4.4% in 2003. Ireland is on schedule to achieve the 15% target for 2010 and must meet the 40% target set for 2020. It is worth recording that on Thursday 19 November, wind power was contributing more than 700 megawatts to the system, the equivalent of the entire output from Moneypoint.

In addition to projects already built and connected, a further 1400 MW of capacity have already signed grid connection offers and have been accepted into the renewable energy feed in tariff, REFIT programme. These projects were part of the gate 1 and gate 2 processes and will be built and connected to the grid in the next two or three year period. The projects being built this year and next year will ensure delivery of the 2010 target of 15%. Those built in following years will contribute to meeting our 2020 target. The CER and EirGrid have calculated that approximately 5,800 MW of renewable capacity will be required to deliver the 40% target in 2020.

The CER decision on the gate 3 round provides for connection offers for 4,000 MW of additional renewable electricity capacity. Approximately 90% of these offers are wind powered capacity, including in the region of 800 MW of offshore wind. The projects in gate 3 were selected by the CER on a first-come-first-served criterion. The 4,000 MW of capacity within the gate 3 process are currently being assessed as part of the connection process. Connection offers are scheduled to issue between now and early 2011.

To ensure this process operates efficiently and to keep the industry stakeholders informed of the ongoing work, the CER has established a gate 3 liaison group involving all stakeholders, including EirGrid and the renewable industry associations. The objective is to ensure the connection offer process is completed quickly, transparently and effectively. The gate 3 process was extensively consulted on by the CER. With a full public consultation and dedicated industry workshops, all industry stakeholders were given the opportunity to respond in advance to the proposed connection process.

The decisions by CER on gate 3 projects are potentially capable of delivering the 40% national target for the contribution from renewable energy resources to electricity consumed by 2020. In the event of any failure to take up gate 3 offers, the CER intends to add replacement projects currently in the queue, to ensure delivery of that target. Strategies to deliver on the distinct potential for exporting renewable electricity from Ireland will be also progressed. These will take account of grid technology developments, power flow management techniques and progressive interconnection with the UK and potentially Europe.

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