Ireland has developed an international reputation for innovation in technology. That innovation extends to the green transition, with experts saying it has the potential to become a global leader in green energy.
Kevin McDonnell, professor at the University College Dublin School of Agriculture and Food Science, is involved in research into new generation energy technologies. He says that for Ireland to become a global leader in this space, it must seek to maximise its enviable resources.
“If you think about where we are on the west coast of Europe, we have brilliant wave, tidal and wind energy,” McDonnell says. “We have only started to tap into them. But we have the potential to be the Middle East of Europe, from an energy supply point of view.”
Despite ambitious climate targets, pro-green energy policies, and the emergence of strong public-private partnerships, many of the same challenges remain. In the case of offshore wind, for example, infrastructure deficits will require huge investment, while technical challenges still exist when it comes to transporting energy. Grid infrastructure is also still lacking – although a significant investment has been announced, the national electricity system is under considerable pressure.
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Ireland should not be reinventing the wheel, says McDonnell; instead, we should learn from other countries’ experience in this regard and design in the most sustainable way for the maximum benefit of the people of Ireland. “Let’s do it in our best interest, not just sell off the rights to a bidder and walk away from it,” he says.
Given our ambitious targets – and those of the EU – Ireland must also expedite these efforts, he adds. “We have sidestepped a lot of our targets. And we tend to be very good at doing that, unfortunately, asking for derogations, asking for additional allowances.”
The economic argument for maximising our green energy capabilities is a strong one. However, McDonnell points out that there are naysayers who query the high cost of transporting excess energy to mainland Europe, for example. “But oil is shipped halfway around the world, and we do the same with coal and gas,” he says. “This is actually better because it’s already in the form of electricity, and it’s being produced in a very clean way with no fossil fuel emissions.”
Matt Kennedy, IDA Ireland’s global head of client transformation, is an energy and environment engineer. He says Ireland’s overall approach to sustainability is a key driver when it comes to foreign direct investment (FDI).
“When we look at the significant investment that we’ve already made in terms of decarbonisation of the grid and what that means from a client perspective, it means that they’re actually getting more security in terms of their supply and they’re fuelling their manufacturing or their services with green electricity,” he explains. “They’re also stimulating more innovation and resource conservation and they’re showing competitiveness in terms of their other sites in other jurisdictions and they’re highlighting the value that Ireland will play in terms of driving the green transition.”
The IDA has been working closely with many of its FDI clients to help them achieve various sustainability goals over the years, but in recent times these targets have become much more specific and carefully considered, he adds.
“The services are becoming much more mature now,” says Kennedy. “We would have helped clients in terms of decarbonisation, but we’re now helping them in terms of becoming better water stewards or helping them in terms of pollution prevention control and adaptation, so we’re going deeper with them in terms of the services that we’re providing them that will ultimately enable them to deliver on their competitiveness.”
Ireland’s willingness to put infrastructure in place that can respond to the needs of these multinational companies in terms of green energy and renewables is becoming a central pillar of our attractiveness for FDI, attracting new organisations and ensuring additional investment from those already situated here.
“We are already on the way to becoming a global leader because of the investment that we’ve made over 20 years, with a mix now of onshore wind and photovoltaic together with energy efficiency,” Kennedy notes. “Now in the next five years we’re going to see that complemented with the promotion of offshore wind and how that will be integrated with the system in terms of helping industry to further decarbonise and improve the resilience of our own industrial base.”
And despite ambitious Government decarbonisation targets, Kennedy points out that those of industry “far exceed” any national goals. “We need to recognise that, and we need to be able to put in place the mechanisms to respond.”
