Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 10: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department is in consultation with an organisation (details supplied); if its plans have influenced his approach towards energy storage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35589/09]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 52: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the potential of energy storage projects on the west coast of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25149/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 52 together.

The "All Island Grid Study" published early last year, examines the ability of the electricity systems on an All-Island basis to absorb power from renewable energy powered projects. Without being prescriptive, its findings showed that penetration of up to 42% renewable electricity is technically feasible without any major increase in pumped storage. There are however, a number of different perspectives on the potential role for pumped storage in an electricity system with very significant levels of renewable energy.

It is the case that several private parties, including the Spirit of Ireland group specifically referred to by the Deputy, are actively developing renewable energy proposals which are predicated on pumped storage projects. The promoters of the Spirit of Ireland project presented their proposal in last May, during a series of meetings with my Department, with other Departments as well as with the ESB, EirGrid and the Commission for Energy Regulation. I also met the Spirit of Ireland group myself. These early initial meetings gave my Department and I a good preliminary insight into this highly ambitious and complex proposal. The promoters themselves acknowledged at that stage that there were very many elements to the project which needed detailed evaluation and analysis. They signalled that they would revert in the autumn to me and my Department and I with the results of this work. We look forward to further engagement with the promoters.

Pumped storage is one of a number of technical options for energy storage and SEI is contributing funding to a battery electric storage project at Sorne Hill in County Donegal. While this particular research project is small scale and at a very early stage in terms of the commercial feasibility of the technology, I welcome the emergence of research, demonstration and deployment projects in this field. Other options for storage which are being researched include compressed air storage systems which use excess electricity to compress air into a cavern or similar structure which can subsequently generate electricity through a turbine as it is released. Any successful deployment of economically viable and environmentally acceptable storage technologies would enhance the ability of the electricity grid to accept higher penetration levels of intermittent renewable generation.