Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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148. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated additional volume requirement of natural gas for electricity generation and data centres for each of the next ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10932/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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My officials have engaged with Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) and while forecasts are not available for each of the next 10 years, I am advised by GNI of the following information in relation to the estimated additional volume requirement of natural gas for electricity generation and data centres for each of the next 8 years:

For the purposes of this Question, GNI have extracted data from their draft ten-year Network Development Plan 2024 (NDP24) covering the period 2023/24-2032/33, which will be held for public consultation by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) in mid-March 2025. Forecasts by sector are available for the next 8 calendar years and extracts from the NDP24 Best Estimate scenario are presented below with supporting commentary:

•Power Generation sector: Annual gas demand is expected to decrease across the NDP horizon. The key drivers of this projected decrease is the forecast growth in installed renewable capacity (19.5GW of installed renewable capacity in 2033 which is aligned with the draft EirGrid / SONI National Resource Adequacy Assessment 2025-2034) coupled with the impact of increased electrical interconnection with GB and France. These factors outweigh the potential for gas demand growth due to increasing electricity demand forecasted by EirGrid.

•Data Centres: Data centre demand is contained within the “Annual Large New Industrial & Commercial Load Demand Forecasts”. All three NDP24 scenarios include contracted data centres only. There is approximately 2,100 MW (thermal) of data centre demand capacity contracted to the gas network (i.e. potential maximum demand level), with 1,379 MW of capacity currently connected. Current gas demand is only a fraction of this connected capacity, with demand projected to ramp up towards contracted levels as customers build out their sites.