A dramatic reduction in renewable electricity generation in 2024 shows vital action is needed to meet Climate Act targets.
The figures from the Department for the Economy’s latest renewable electricity generation report, published today, show a reduction of 7.5% from peak in 2022.
The figures, produced quarterly based on the previous 12 month period, show renewable generation accounted for 43.5 per cent of NI’s electricity use for full year 2024. This is down from the record 51 per cent in the calendar year 2022, when 3,825 GW was generated from renewable sources in Northern Ireland.
Steven Agnew, RenewableNI Director, said:
“Northern Ireland is going from leaders to laggards. Today’s figures show we are going backwards and should be a warning alarm to policy makers.
“With wind being our main source of clean energy – 82 per cent, we can expect weather related variations. However, there is an enduring issue behind the recent trend. We are turning off renewable generation more often due to a lack of grid capacity, in a process known as ‘dispatch down’. In levels never before seen, dispatch down averaged 30% in 2024, double what could have reasonably been expected. This was largely driven by increased levels of imports from Scotland across the Moyle Interconnector”
RenewableNI set out options available to address the downward generation trend:
- Build the second North South Interconnector. This could halve dispatch down levels by allowing NI to send more electricity to ROI where there is greater demand.
- Accelerate the roll out of long duration energy storage (LDES) to allow storage of electricity at times of high winds and release it when there is peak demand. The technology is there but the policy and procurement framework is not.
- Timely delivery of the new renewable electricity support scheme. It might seem counter intuitive to be building more renewables when we aren’t fully utilising current resources, however, more renewables sets lower prices so transitioning to export more often to GB rather than import.
Steven Agnew pointed out that achieving the Climate Act target of 80 per cent by 2030 will bring significate renewable rewards:
“The Baringa report in February Cutting Carbon, Cutting Bills set out how wind energy saved NI spending £182 million on gas and carbon credits. The Renewable Rewards: How you save from the switch to renewable electricity proved reaching 80 by 30 target will unlock an additional saving of £110 million per year. This is on top of the current annual savings.
“We now have a Programme for Government suggesting NI can be an energy exporter. The Executive need to work together to benefit the Northern Ireland consumer and environment.”
ENDS.
For media inquiries please contact Judith Rance, Communications and Events Manager, RenewableNI, Judith.Rance@RenewableNI.com, 07875-681-794.
Notes to editors
You can read the Electricity Consumption and Renewable Generation Statistics report at https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/articles/electricity-consumption-and-renewable-generation-statistics.
Renewable Rewards: How you save from the switch to renewable electricity
