WHAT HAS been described as the biggest Irish energy project in 85 years will start commercial operations next month and electricity will flow through an undersea cable linking Meath and Wales. The 500-megawatt cable has the capacity to supply 350,000 homes and will be used to export or to import electricity, as required. It has taken almost 10 years of planning to get to this stage, with the result that the development of wind power has been inhibited and Ireland remains excessively dependent on imported fuels.
Global warming, EU carbon emission penalties, distrust of nuclear power and finite oil and gas reserves have all contributed to a surge in alternative energy investments across Europe. Solar and wind power have received most attention, but the capacity of the ocean to supply electricity is also under development, as is biomass. Here in Ireland, the main focus has been on the development of wind power, driven to a considerable degree by British interest.
A memorandum of understanding between the two governments, signed earlier this year, brought a flurry of activity. Element Power, a US energy group, announced its intention to build 40 wind farms in the midlands and generate 3,000 megawatts for transmission to Britain by dedicated underwater cables. Mainstream Renewable Power announced plans to generate 5,000 megawatts, also in the midlands. Both would come on stream in five years and both, crucially, are seeking fast-track, strategic planning status.
Onshore wind farms are commercially favoured because they are cheaper to build and maintain and because governments, fearful of rising costs, have not agreed to guarantee tariffs for offshore facilities. As the scale of onshore developments becomes more intrusive, however, and local opposition emerges, that may change. Last year, Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte spoke of the deployment of “smart grids” for the transmission of energy generated off Ireland’s coasts. He also promised special tariff supports for offshore wind farms. But as the British government held back and the possible cost to Irish consumers became apparent, the commitment was shelved.
Getting the most advantageous deal for supplying Britain with green energy, while reducing Ireland’s dependency on imports, is a complicated balancing act. The cost of energy and its competing technologies is changing rapidly. Investing too heavily in a single process could be a long-term mistake. Not investing enough may be equally damaging.
Wind, wave and solar power all point the way towards a more sustainable future. Wind development was significantly delayed because of the lack of an east-west interconnector that would allow surplus electricity to be exported. That problem has now been addressed. Given the scale of what is planned, however, additional interconnectors will be required. How those facilities contribute to competition, security of supply and cost will be core issues.