Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

267. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the way electricity generation CO2 emissions rose in 2015 per the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's publication Renewable Electricity in Ireland 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31208/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The White Paper on Energy Policy sets out a vision of a low carbon energy system in Ireland, where greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector will be reduced by between 80% and 95%, compared to 1990 levels, by 2050, and where alternative and renewable energy will play a dominant role in Ireland’s future energy mix. In addition, the Programme for Government sets out a range of priority climate actions and interventions, a number of which have a direct bearing on the energy efficiency and the renewable energy sector. In combination, these will help to increase and diversify Ireland’s renewable energy mix across the electricity, heating and transport sectors.

SEAI analysis shows that since 1990 the share of high carbon content fuels in electricity generation, such as coal and oil, has been reducing with a corresponding rise in the relatively lower carbon natural gas and zero carbon renewables. Imported electricity is considered zero carbon in terms of reporting national greenhouse gas emissions under international and EU reporting obligations. Over the period 1990 to 2014 the carbon intensity of Ireland’s electricity dropped by 49% from 896 g CO2/kWh in 1990 to a new low of 456 g CO2/kWh in 2014. However, the long term trend can and does vary in individual years because of supply and market effects, such as dislocation in fuel supply or generation capacity and for 2015, CO2/kWh  increased by 2.5% to 467.5 g CO2/kWh. 

The SEAI analysis attributes the 2015 increase in carbon intensity of electricity to the following additional factors:

- 45% increase in oil used in generation (albeit at a 1.9% share of fuel inputs);

- decrease in net imports of electricity;

- 3.7% reduction in natural gas generation (42% share of inputs); and

- 10.2% reduction in other renewable (biomass and landfill gas) inputs to electricity generation (2.6% share of inputs).

Countering the above were:

- 13.8% increase in hydro generation (1.5% share of inputs);

- 27.9% increase wind generation (12.6% share of inputs).

The report referred to by the Deputy can be downloaded at .