Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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102. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has a strategy on ammonia fuel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62340/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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A key strategy in Ireland’s Climate Action Plan is to increase the proportion of renewable electricity to up to 80% by 2030, including a target of up to 5 Gigawatts of offshore wind energy. This will not just reduce emissions from electricity, it will allow us to electrify other sectors such as transport and heat and reduce our emissions in these sectors too.

Green hydrogen has the potential to support decarbonisation in difficult-to-decarbonise sectors where energy efficiency, electrification and direct use of renewables are not feasible solutions, including heavy goods transport, high-temperature heat for industry and in electricity generation as a back-up for intermittent renewables.

Green ammonia is a potential derivative of green hydrogen, which is being explored as a potential transport fuel for shipping. The IEA’s Ammonia Technology Roadmap has noted that about 70% of ammonia is used for fertilisers, while the remainder is used for various industrial applications, and that while the future use of ammonia as a fuel shows promise in the context of clean energy transitions, this application currently remains nascent. As a result, the focus of the IEA’s roadmap is on existing agricultural and industrial uses of ammonia.

Earlier this year, the Government agreed to target an additional 2GW offshore wind Power to X, which will be substantially for the delivery of green hydrogen.

A Hydrogen Strategy for Ireland is also under development. Earlier this year, my Department launched a public consultation to gather views on the broad landscape of potential hydrogen supply, infrastructure, storage, and demand in Ireland, as well as the potential export opportunities for hydrogen. The significant number of responses we received reflects the momentum building behind green hydrogen in Ireland. Work is expected to conclude shortly on a summary report of the 126 substantive responses, which will be a significant step in developing the hydrogen strategy.