Renewable energy failed to keep pace with Ireland’s increasing demand for electricity last year, new figures show.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has just published its Interim National Energy Balance for 2024 setting out how much electricity was used last year, and how it was genrerated.
The SEAI says that although renewable generation capacity increased compared to 2023, renewables supplied a lower share of Ireland’s electricity.
“This is explained by the increase in electricity demand outpacing the increase in renewable generation, as well as grid constraints and lower wind outputs”, the government agency said.
Fossil fuel gas remains the biggest energy source for Ireland, making up just under half – 42.1 percent – of our energy needs. Wind power generated close to one-third – 31.7 percent – whilst a significant share of electricity – 14 percent – was net imported through Ireland’s interconnector cables.
Overall energy use grew by 2.3 percent last year. A significant, and increasing, amount of electricity is expected to needed to power Ireland’s tech data centres.
In 2023, data centres ate through six percent of Ireland’s electricity supply, the equivalent of the electricity used by about half a million households.
Renewable energy production was up last year, but it is struggling to keep pace with demand.
“Increased use of bioenergy and technologies such as solar PV and heat-pumps meant that renewable energy supplied 14.5 percent of Ireland’s energy requirements last year, a slight increase on last year’s figure of 14 percent”, the SEAI said.
SEAI estimates that emissions from the electricity sector were down by 7.5 precent on 2023 figures.
“Ireland’s energy related emissions are now at their lowest level in over 30 years, falling a further 1.3 percent last year. This marks an overall decrease of 11 percent since carbon emissions targets were introduced in 2021 and the third consecutive year with an emissions reduction.”
“Increased energy demand challenges our ability to meaningfully grow our renewable energy share of generation”, the Director of Research for the SEAI, Margie McCarthy, warned.
“If we are to meet our [climate] targets, we have no time to wait, we need to accelerate our deployment of renewable energy technologies and we have to make wise decisions on energy demand growth.”
“We must continue to invest in renewable technologies and interconnectors, we must continue to retrofit our housing and public building stock, and we must continue to move to more active and public transport options where possible. Only with collective effort and buy in will we achieve the changes needed in our consumption behaviours to realise the energy transition.”