The Programme for Government 2025 sets out the commitment to achieving 80% of Ireland’s electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030, including the development of additional electricity interconnection and storage. The delivery of a gas reserve is critical to Ireland’s energy security as we continue to transition to indigenous, clean renewable energy.
The Government position on the need for a State-operated Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve, in the form of a floating storage and regassification unit (FSRU) that will store LNG, has been very clear. The liquified natural gas (LNG) will be held in reserve for use in the event of a significant disruption to gas supplies and the FSRU will be divested when no longer required to secure Ireland’s energy systems. The National Risk Assessment has consistently identified the risk of damage to Ireland’s subsea gas interconnectors as being a major risk. Accordingly, this is a priority project of a strategic nature required to mitigate the major consequences for our society and our economy that would arise from the realisation of this risk.
In 2025, my Department published an updated analysis of security of energy supply in Ireland beyond 2030, which considered the ability of increased interconnection and battery storage to secure Ireland's energy system. This analysis informed the Government's decision to proceed with a Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve as the best option to secure Ireland's energy system.
This Government remains committed to taking decisive action to radically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and has greatly boosted the share of renewables in our increasingly electrified energy system, with over 8 gigawatts of renewable electricity capacity now operational and almost 50% of electricity coming from renewable sources in February this year.
