Written answers
Thursday, 18 October 2012
Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Alternative Energy Projects
Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide up to date figures from EirGrid of the total installed wind capacity here; the maximum potential wind energy generation in the State; the annual rate of increase of both installed wind capacity in the State for the past ten years and the annual average consumption of renewable energy as a proportion of all energy consumed in the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45387/12]
Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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EirGrid have advised that as of October 2012 approx. 1,695MW of wind generation capacity is connected or energised. The maximum potential of wind generated electricity, based on an average yearly 31% capacity factor, if applied to the existing installed capacity could potentially produce 4.6 Terawatt hours over a year. This would translate into approximately 18% of electricity demand. At particular time intervals, wind has produced enough power to meet 50% of electricity demand, and has even reached a high of 38% of total daily electricity demand. 123 MW is the annual average added each year to the grid over the past 10 years.
Data from EirGrid on the installed capacity of wind for the last 10 years is as follows:
Installed Capacity at Year’s End
2003 - 203 MW
2004 - 371MW
2005 - 641MW
2006 - 693 MW
2007 - 958 MW
2008 - 1067 MW
2009 - 1396 MW
2010 - 1538 MW
2011 - 1629 MW
Figures from SEAI on the average annual average consumption of renewable energy as a proportion of all energy consumed (this includes electricity, heating and transport fuels) over the last ten years is set out below. Two tables are given. The first is all renewable energy as a percentage of total primary energy (TPER) SEAI has also separately provided renewable energy as a percentage of gross final consumption, in line with the definition used in the Renewable Directive.
| - | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renewables % of TPER | 1.6% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 3.0% | 3.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 6.0% |
| Hydro | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Wind | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 2.7% |
| Biomass | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Landfill Gas | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Biogas | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Liquid Biofuels | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Solar | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Geothermal | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| - | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Renewables % of Gross Final Consumption | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 3.5% | 4.0% | 5.0% | 5.5% | 6.4% |
| Hydro (normalised) | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Wind (normalised) | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 2.0% | 2.2% | 2.9% |
| Biomass | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 1.7% |
| Landfill Gas | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Biogas | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Liquid Biofuels | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Solar | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Geothermal | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
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