Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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113. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to outline long-term battery storage capacity currently in Ireland; and to outline any State funding provided on an annual basis to such projects, in tabular form. [40926/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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At present there is over 1 GW of electricity storage operating on the national electricity grid. 292 MW of this is pumped hydro-electric storage located at Turlough Hill Co. Wicklow, with the remainder Battery Electricity Storage Systems (BESS).

These 1 GW of electricity storage systems provide both electricity capacity to the grid to meet demand and the system services required to maintain the proper functioning of the grid, for durations of between 0.5 hours to 6 hours.

Capacity contracts for electricity storage are funded in a similar manner as other generators via the Capacity Remuneration Mechanism (CRM). Electricity storage assets may also receive funding via the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) once they are co-located with renewable generators (wind or solar) behind the same meter point. Electricity storage system services contracts are funded via the DS3 programme operated by the Transmission System operators and funded through the 5 year Price Review programme under the remit of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU).

As per Action #6 of the recently published Electricity storage policy framework for Ireland, a further 1 GW of electricity storage is expected to be incorporated to the grid through two, first of kind, Route to Market products. These products are under development by ESB Networks (Distribution System Operator) and EirGrid (Transmission system operator), in line with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. It is expected that these Route to Market products will be in place by Q4 2025 (ESB Networks) and Q2 2026 (EirGrid) respectively. Both System operators will publish a public consultation on their respective Route to Market products in Q4 2024 and both products are expected to be funded through the 5 year price review programme under the remit of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU).