A new report has set out how wind energy saved spending £182 million on gas and carbon credits in Northern Ireland.
Spending on gas for electricity in the Republic of Ireland was cut by almost one billion euro last year, as wind energy supplied 32 per cent of Ireland’s electricity, bringing total all-island savings to more than €1.2 billion euro.
Irish wind farms saved €748 million euro on gas, which would have been predominantly imported, and a further €268 million in carbon credits in Ireland.
These figures come from the latest annual Cutting Carbon, Cutting Bills report from Baringa, which analyses the annual savings in gas consumption delivered by wind energy.
Electricity savings were particularly high in March, the strongest month for wind energy generation last year, and December, the month with the highest gas prices, with €120 million and €170 million saved respectively.
The displaced gas also meant a saving of 5 million tonnes of CO2 across the island, equivalent to the annual emissions of 1.8 million cars.
In Northern Ireland £133 million (€157 million) of gas was displaced in totalling over 0.4 bcm in volume. The resulting reduction in emissions equates to 0.9 million tonnes of CO2
emissions.
Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, said: “Once again this report highlights the critical role Irish wind farms are playing in driving down Irish energy costs, cutting our carbon emissions and reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels.
“Rather than importing hundreds of millions of euro of gas, Irish wind farms ensured money stayed where it belongs, at home, supporting Irish workers and businesses.”
However, further savings were prevented due to insufficient grid capacity which meant Ireland was unable to take full advantage of its windiest months.
Noel Cunniffe continued: “Last year Ireland reached record levels of wind energy generation capacity, with over 5,000 MW of onshore generation capacity now installed. However, it was also the worst year on record for the amount of wind power lost due to challenges with electricity grid capacity.
“Every time a wind turbine is shut down because the grid can’t take the electricity, it means higher bills and more carbon emissions. This report further highlights the urgent need to reinforce our grid infrastructure, so that we can get more wind energy on the grid and allow consumers to fully benefit from Ireland’s renewable transition.”
