Written answers

Thursday, 11 November 2010

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Electricity Generation

6:00 pm

Photo of Enda KennyEnda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will confirm that large-scale pumped storage greater than the Turlough Hill plant operating since 1974 was considered in respect of a previous reply (details supplied); if he will provide the details of such large-scale pumped storage from his previous reply, including the generation capacity, pumping capacity, size of energy reservoir, pumping and generating technologies considered - if synchronous or asynchronous and the efficiency of each cycle; where the detailed results of this work may be found; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42158/10]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The information requested by the Deputy is whether certain detailed technical aspects of large scale pumped storage were covered in the analysis and modelling in the three reports mentioned in the responses to Parliamentary Questions 468 and 469 answered on Tuesday, 2 November 2010.

These three reports are:

1. The 'All Island Grid Study', jointly commissioned by my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Northern Ireland,

2. The 'Generation Adequacy Report 2010–2016' published by EirGrid, and

3. The 'Low Carbon Generation Options for the All Island Market' published by EirGrid.

EirGrid's latest 'Generation Adequacy Report 2010–2016' contains a separate section describing the various means of electrical storage. One of its conclusions is that there is little value in adding large pumped storage in Ireland at levels of renewable penetration up to 40%. It further notes that it may be more economic to export wind than to store it using pumped hydro, because of the efficiency loss in the pumping cycle.

The study commissioned by EirGrid on low carbon options for 2035 concluded that storage could make a contribution towards managing the intermittency associated with renewables in a portfolio with both interconnection and flexible generation, but that there were capital cost, environmental and technical issues that needed to be examined further.

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