Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 February 2026
17. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the rationale for not taking into account secondary fuels, as is allowable in determining N-1 requirements, in the Departments security of supply reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13104/26]
View answerOne of the key documents that informed the Energy Security Package was the 'Review of the Security of Energy Supply of Ireland’s Electricity and Gas Systems'. This review focused on the period to 2030, but in the context of ensuring a sustainable transition to renewable energy by 2050. This review considered the risks to both gas and electricity supplies, and a range of measures including the need for additional capacity of indigenous renewable energy; importing energy; energy storage; and fuel diversification and renewable gases. The review included detailed research, including a technical analysis conducted by CEPA (Cambridge Economic Policy Associates Ltd) and a public consultation run by my Department. The role of secondary fuelling in Ireland's energy security architecture was included in this technical analysis.
In 2024, my Department engaged CEPA to carry out an updated analysis of security of energy supply in Ireland covering the period beyond 2030. This study builds on CEPA’s technical analysis of the security of supply of Ireland’s electricity and natural gas systems up to 2030. This updated analysis focused on the ability of the proposed solution to meet the N-1 infrastructure standard for gas in 2035 and 2040. The formula for calculating the N-1 standard (set out in Annex II of Regulation 2017/1938) does not include the contribution of potential mitigation that could be provided by secondary fuel switching by gas-fired electricity generators in Ireland.
Secondary fuel usage from gas-fired generation can provide a key source of mitigation in the case that gas becomes unavailable for Irish electricity generators. However, the 2022 report outlines that only approximately 80% of registered gas-fired capacity in Ireland could be expected to operate on secondary fuel in case of a security of supply event involving a lack of gas for power generation. There is also significant uncertainty on the ability of secondary fuel storage to be replenished in the case of a prolonged gas outage due to plant and haulage constraints.
On this basis a Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve, in the form of a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU), has been approved by Government to secure Ireland's energy systems, as a transitionary measure. A strategic gas emergency reserve will provide resilience to the gas system to mitigate the consequences for society and our economy of a significant gas supply disruption in Ireland.
