EirGrid was the title sponsor of this year’s Positive Impacts, the country’s top event for business leaders guiding their companies to net zero, which took place in Dublin earlier this month.
It was the perfect pairing, given the electricity grid operator and developer’s role in supporting Ireland’s energy transformation.
As the country decarbonises and moves away from fossil fuels to clean energy - from the cars we drive to the way we heat our homes – it is EirGrid’s transmission network that delivers electricity from where it is made to where it needs to go.
Right now, readying the grid for a net-zero carbon emissions future involves enormous challenges, not least because the renewable energy that replaces traditional coal and gas fired plants is often generated far from where it is needed.
Ireland’s greatest source of renewable energy is wind, and the strongest and most reliable source of inland wind power is in the west of Ireland, while the south holds the greatest potential for solar generation. But the majority of Ireland’s electricity is used in the east.
Even aside from geography, renewable energy, because it comes from variable sources, is much more complex to manage technically.
On top of all that, EirGrid must navigate the upgrading of the grid without disrupting our supply of electricity. Put simply, it has to do all this while keeping the lights on.
Once in place however, the upgraded grid’s ability to support both the economy and communities will be far greater.
Wide ranging
In wide ranging expert talks and panel discussions, Positive Impacts explored what Climate Action Plan 2025 and the new programme for government means for Irish businesses, state companies, and utilities.
It looked at the EU’s Green Deal as a key lever in addressing competition and energy security, and the requirements it places on Ireland. The event also explored how best to progress Ireland’s climate action strategy at business level, and where the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals fit into our climate action plan mix.
Delegates gained insights into everything from renewable energy and sustainable transport to the circular economy, agriculture, biodiversity and coastal erosion.
The event also saw the presentation of the Positive Impacts Award to Donna Gartland, chief executive officer of Codema, Dublin’s Energy Agency, which is on a mission to improve the lives of the capital’s citizens by changing how energy is produced and used locally.
Powering up
EirGrid is currently developing the national grid to ensure it can carry 80 per cent of Ireland’s electricity from renewable sources in preparation for a cleaner energy future, as set out in the Government’s Climate Action Plan.
It’s an enormous task. “We need to make sure demand can be met in times when it’s not windy or sunny. Increasingly we also need to manage interconnection with other jurisdictions, both the UK and - in the next number of years - France, through the Celtic Interconnector,” explains Errol Close, EirGrid’s chief corporate services officer and a key speaker at Positive Impacts.
Though Ireland is a small island only lightly interconnected to the rest of Europe, the challenge this presents has spurred us to become world leaders in terms of our ability to accommodate variable sources of energy, he points out.
This technical proficiency is something to be celebrated. “Lots of other jurisdictions are looking at what we do in Ireland to try and understand how we manage our renewable resources, and to understand the engineering solutions and innovations we’ve engaged in to operate what is, for them, a very different power system,” he explains.
They are also likely studying EirGrid’s Shaping our Electricity Future roadmap, which outlines the challenges involved in reaching Ireland’s target of 80 per cent renewables.
It clearly outlines the steps required to achieve this target in terms of developments in grid infrastructure, operating the power system, and suggestions for operation of the electricity market, which is directed by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU).
“There is a significant amount of innovation and investment required not just by EirGrid but by the entire system including developers investing in generation and other technologies including interconnection, along with other important stakeholders such as the CRU and Government. A lot of parties are coming together to make sure that the overall investment programme is made. While there is a lot of challenge in it, we’re making really good progress,” says Close.
Community spirit
Part of that progress is attributable to the work EirGrid has undertaken to ensure it brings communities with it in relation to Ireland’s energy transformation.
A huge amount of consultation work was done as part of Shaping Our Electricity Future, including community engagement initiatives and information events to highlight the benefits of grid upgrades.
As well as the obvious environmental rewards, these include a much greater ability to support new businesses, inward investment and new homes, including in regional areas.
It’s why EirGrid chose to sponsor this year’s Positive Impacts event. “We as an organisation have a positive impact on the economy, and in focusing on climate and sustainability - all things that the event elevates – Positive Impacts aligns with what we are seeking to do,” explains Close.
The move to decarbonise power generation, and the transformation of the grid required to facilitate it, will, he points out, “finally decouple emissions from economic growth”, something which will pay dividends both immediately and for future generations. “It is a good news story,” he says.
