The Republic may have to consider using nuclear energy in the future as it bids to balance growing electricity demand while cutting greenhouse gas emissions, says EirGrid chairman Brendan Tuohy.
The State-owned national electricity grid operator published figures this week showing it earned €10 million profit in the 12 months to the end of September, its last financial year.
Mr Tuohy cautions in his statement that a lack of low-carbon options for generating electricity could disadvantage the Republic’s efforts to lure investment in the future.
He argues that to make fully-informed decisions, the State needs to know the impact of the wider choices available in other countries, while looking at the full range of options that it needs to consider.
Childcare in Ireland: ‘Even as well-paid professionals, it was an exhausting struggle. The numbers never added up’
Smooth Company’s Áine Kennedy: ‘My screen time is outrageous. I don’t have a work-life balance at the moment’
Semi-state CEOs: What do they earn and should they be paid more?
Pay, perks and CEO prerogatives
“Beyond that, serious consideration should be given on how to increase the range of options available to Ireland, and even though some options may not be popular – for example, the use of nuclear energy – it is important they are given serious consideration,” he says.
Wind, solar and limited water – hydro – power supply the State’s renewable electricity. Mr Tuohy notes that these are mainly intermittent, posing a challenge when wind or sun are not available.
[ Will nuclear really power the AI boom?Opens in new window ]
Other countries have nuclear power, geothermal energy, which taps the heat under the earth’s surface, and large hydroelectric dams, he points out.
The national grid chairman argues that this gives other nations an advantage in “decarbonising their energy systems”, which could have serious implications for the Republic’s competitiveness.
“As such, it is vitally important that all possible options available are considered so as to ensure that Ireland’s future energy system is one that is reliable, sustainable, internationally competitive and affordable,” he says.
The use of nuclear power is banned under the Republic’s Electricity Regulation Act, 1999, but various groups have argued that the Government should consider this as an option for generating electricity, as it is cheap and does not emit greenhouse gas.
Professional body, Engineers Ireland, has debated the use of smaller nuclear plants, called small modular reactors, in this country. However, experts caution that nuclear power raises risks with safety and waste.
Mr Tuohy stresses that the Republic should continue with its pledge to play its part in tackling climate change and moving to a society that depends less on technology that emits carbon dioxide.
Will rent reform make building apartments viable?
Challenges facing the State in this include building “significant electricity infrastructure”, that is “generation, storage and transmission” quickly and efficiently.
Expanding the grid should be understood as key to ensuring the Republic’s “international economic competitiveness”, Mr Tuohy argues.
EirGrid is planning 16 projects in the Republic to prepare the national grid to carry more electricity and to take on more renewables to meet a Government target of producing 80 per cent of power from green sources by 2030.
System Operator Northern Ireland, which runs the grid in the North, plans three major projects to expand the grid there to meet increasing demand and climate action targets.
EirGrid is also working on the Celtic Interconnector, a power line between the south coast and France that will allow electricity to flow between the two countries.
The project is the first to connect this country directly with any part of European electricity network.
