Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2026
160. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the rationale for not taking secondary fuels into account when determining Ireland's N-1 compliance in the Department's security of supply reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14065/26]
View answerThe EU N – 1 infrastructure standard describes the ability of the technical capacity of the gas infrastructure to satisfy total gas demand in the calculated area, in the event of disruption of the single largest gas infrastructure during a day of exceptionally high gas demand, occurring with a statistical probability of once in 20 years. The formula for calculating the N-1 infrastructure standard, as set out in Annex II of EU 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.
One 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 considered the risks to both gas and electricity supplies, focused on the period to 2030, but in the context of ensuring a sustainable transition to renewable energy by 2050. The review included a technical analysis conducted by Cambridge Economic Policy Associates (CEPA) 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 updated analysis focused on the ability of the proposed solution to meet the N-1 infrastructure standard for gas in 2035 and 2040. Given the formula for calculating this standard does not include the contribution of potential mitigation that could be provided by secondary fuel switching by gas-fired electricity generators in Ireland, it did not form part of this focused analysis.
