Gas Networks Ireland has welcomed a letter sent to the government by Ibec, the business and employer group, calling for measures to support energy security including the development of biomethane and hydrogen projects.
In a letter to Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Ibec CEO Danny McCoy called on the government to introduce new measures to protect Irish businesses from high energy costs and to enhance Ireland’s energy security.
The CEO said that the invasion of Ukraine exposed the fragility of Europe’s energy system, its dependence on fossil gas from Russia, and the failure to decarbonise and diversify Ireland’s energy mix.
Director of customer and business development at Gas Networks Ireland, David Kelly said:
“We strongly welcome Ibec’s ask of the government to support the development of hydrogen and biomethane projects to both enhance the country’s energy security and provide opportunities to create a renewable gas industry in rural Ireland.”
He added that the vision of Gas Networks Ireland is to replace natural gas with renewable gases such as biomethane and hydrogen.
The European Commission recently announced a new REPowerEU plan to reduce the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels by diversifying gas supplies and speeding up the rollout of renewable gases.
The commission aims to double the planned production of biomethane by 2030 which would lead to the creation of 35 billion cubic metres of biomethane per year.
Biomethane and hydrogen
Replacing natural gas with renewable gases will help to significantly reduce carbon emissions nationwide, Kelly said, while ensuring a secure energy supply “in the least disruptive and most cost-effective manner”.
Biomethane – which is structurally identical to natural gas – is a carbon-neutral renewable gas that can be made from farm and food waste through a process known as anaerobic digestion (AD), Gas Networks Ireland said.
The director of customer and business development explained:
“Along with playing a key role in meeting national and EU climate action targets and making us less reliant on fossil fuels, there is significant scope for biomethane production in Ireland.”
He added that a domestic biomethane industry would not only support the decarbonisation of the agricultural sector, but also provide significant opportunities for rural communities.
It would also facilitate a sustainable circular economy since businesses could power their operations using renewable gas made from their own waste, Kelly said.
Gas Networks Ireland first introduced domestically produced biomethane onto Ireland’s gas network over two years ago. He commented:
“Although the quantity is currently small, it [biomethane] is beginning to seamlessly replace natural gas and it is fully compatible with existing appliances, technology and vehicles.”
Hydrogen which is a carbon-free flammable gas that can be made from renewable electricity, such as wind, and can be stored until needed, according to Gas Networks Ireland, is an attractive option to decarbonise Ireland’s energy system.
“While there is currently no hydrogen on Ireland’s gas network, it is believed that blends of up to 20% could be transported on the existing infrastructure today,” Gas Networks Ireland said.