Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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193. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the current installed and operational electricity storage capacity in megawatts and megawatt hours, by technology; the pipeline to 2030; the number and location of black-start capable sites; and the contingency plan to meet N-1 security during severe weather events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47190/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As of July 2025, the system operators, EirGrid and ESB Networks, report that 22 separate electricity storage systems with the capacity to provide over 1,048 MW / 2,519 MWh of electricity storage are connected to the grid network. One pumped hydro storage facility, Turlough Hill Co. Wicklow, accounts for 292 MW / 1,590 MWh of this capacity with the remaining 756 MW / 929 MWh provided by 21 Stationary Battery Energy Storage Systems (S-BESS) located throughout the country.

Action #6 of the Electricity Storage Policy Framework for Ireland, published in July 2024 supports the immediate procurement of 500MW of Demand Flexibility Products on to the distribution system as well as 500MW of Long Duration Electricity Storage to the transmission system. At present, both system operators, ESB Networks and EirGrid, in conjunction with the regulatory authority, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, are developing procurement mechanisms to incorporate this 1GW of electricity storage onto the respective grids.

Details, including the locations, of all 22 electricity storage systems sites are provided in the attached document.

The further information sought is an operational matter for the Transmission System Operator and, as such, it is not information held by my Department. The Deputy may wish to contact the Transmission System Operator (EirGrid) directly in relation to this matter. EirGrid has a contact email address for Deputies, (oireachtas@eirgrid.ie), should they wish to raise matters of concern such as that in the question.

Total Electricity storage capacity - July 2025: 1,048.5MW / 2,519.36MWh.

July 2025 Electricity storage - Transmission System – EirGrid

Source EirGrid Transmissions statistics.

July 2025 Electricity storage - Distribution System - ESB Networks.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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194. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the State’s current days-of-cover for petrol, diesel, kerosene and jet fuel; whether he intends to introduce a statutory minimum stockholding obligation; the proposed level and compliance regime; the implementation timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47194/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) that they currently hold 73 days of petrol, 69 days of jet fuel/kerosene, and 102 days of diesel - equivalent to 90 days overall. NORA stocks are balanced to match the end-use domestic consumption of the various oil products, petrol, diesel, and kerosene.

The stocks are held to cover any emergency for re-supply through the commercial system. Ireland’s policy of holding a Strategic Oil Reserve equivalent to 90 days of net imports is required by both its membership of the EU and the International Energy Agency (IEA) and is provided for by the National Oil Reserves Agency Act 2007.

NORA has operational responsibility for the day to day management of the Reserve. This includes the purchase of refined products and entering into agreements with third parties to lease storage capacity, as required.

In line with Government policy, the stocks are ready to be placed to the domestic market in the event of a shortage of petroleum products arising in the commercial supply chains or released to the international markets as part of an IEA collective action (there were two such actions shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine which served to calm supply fears globally).