Annual report confirms wind energy leads fight against climate change

Wind outperformed gas in Q1 and Q4 2020

But concerns growing at rising amounts of 'lost' energy

Ireland’s wind energy industry set new records last year, providing more than 36 per cent of the country’s electricity and – for the first time – outperforming gas across two quarters.

Ireland has confirmed its position as number one in the world for the share of electricity demand met by onshore wind. However, the industry is raising growing concerns over the volumes of lost power and the need to strengthen the electricity grid.

Headlines results from the annual report include:

• In 2020 wind energy met a record 36.3 per cent of our electricity demand – the world’s highest for onshore wind;
• In Q1 2020 and again Q4 2020 wind energy provided more electricity than natural gas across a full quarter for the first time ever;
• Eight new wind farms were connected with a combined capacity of 135 MW;
• Planning permission confirmed for seven new wind farms with a capacity of 307 MW.
• However, lost wind energy has risen to nearly 11.5 per cent of total production.

Dr David Connolly, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, said: “Irish wind energy is setting new records every year as it cuts our CO₂ emissions, drives down the wholesale price of electricity and makes Ireland more energy independent.

“At the start of 2020 we passed a significant milestone as wind outperformed gas across a full quarter for the first time ever and we did it again in the last three months of the year. Wind energy’s strong performance enabled Ireland to reach our 40 per cent renewable electricity target.

“Although there was a slow down in the number of new projects connecting to the grid after a very busy 2019, the number of projects which got planning permission and the growing number applying today shows the strength of our pipeline.

“Last year also saw the first Renewable Electricity Support Scheme auction and the signing of new Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs). This means we have more than 600 MW of new wind farms going into construction.”

Concern over lost energy

Despite the strong results there is growing industry concern about the amount of wind energy lost every year. In 2020 this amounted to more than 1.4 million MWh of electricity, nearly double the figure for 2019. This is just under 11.5 per cent of total production and enough to power more than 300,000 homes.

Wind energy is lost when EirGrid, as the transmission system operator, instructs a wind farm to produce less electricity or even to shut down entirely because the grid is not strong enough to cope with the volumes of power being produced.

Dr Connolly said: “These record levels of lost wind power must be replaced by fossil fuels. So every time wind farms are turned off, our carbon emissions go up.

“As we develop more wind farms, particularly the large offshore projects that are in planning, we are going to need a much stronger transmission system.

“EirGrid is a world leader in integrating renewable energy onto the system. Together with ESB Networks they ensure we can operate the system with large volumes of renewable energy, connect new projects and maintain the stability of the grid.

“They are continually improving and only recently EirGrid raised the limit on the amount of wind energy allowed on the system at any one time to a maximum of 70 per cent of demand.

“However, as a matter of urgency we need to support Eirgrid’s efforts to expand and strengthen our electricity grid. And this support needs to extend right across the political system and wider society if we are to have any hope of decarbonising our electricity supply.”

Key statistics

• Wind energy’s share of electricity demand in 2020: 36.3 per cent – up from 32.5 per cent 2019.
• Total amount of electricity generated by wind in 2020: 10,729,500 MWh – up from 9,497,000 MWh in 2019. To put this in context the total electricity demand from an average family home in Ireland is 4.6 MWh.
• Total installed wind energy capacity at end of 2020: 4,255 MW.
• Number of new wind farms built: 8
• Total volume of new capacity installed: 135 MW.
• Amount of wind energy dispatched down in 2020: 1,447,803 MWh (11.4 per cent) up from 710,591 (6.9 per cent) in 2019.