A proposal for a strategic gas reserve by Gas Networks Ireland is anticipated for the second quarter of this year, according to the Department of the Environment and Climate Communications (DECC).
The ‘Energy Security in Ireland to 2030’ report, published in November 2023, outlines the government’s national plan, highlighting a move to an electricity-led system, with reliance on new gas-fired generation as “back up”.
The strategic proposal will be developed in accordance with specific requirements, which will include:
- A proposal which can be implemented quickly;
- It must not inadvertently increase gas demand by increasing the supply available on the market;
- It must be a cost-effective proposal at the appropriate scale that provides sufficient resilience if a disruption to gas supply occurs;
- A proposal that is compatible with the climate act and broader government climate and energy policy, avoiding the risk to fossil fuel lock-in or stranded fossil fuel assets.
The ‘Energy Security in Ireland to 2030’ report states that natural supplies and infrastructure are “adequate to meet demand projections”, but do not have adequate resilience in case of a major disruption to imports.
The Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve would be used in the transitionary period to address security needs in the medium-term, to be used only if a significant disruption to gas supplies occurs.
Liquid gas
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) National Heat Study contains the detailed analysis that is informing the development of options, policies and measures to decarbonise the heating and cooling sectors by 2050.
The study considered a number of potential decarbonisation options for a wide range of dwelling and business types.
This included the use of liquid biofuels, solid biomass, biogases and other technologies, such as heat pumps and district heating networks.
The recommendation of the study is that heat pumps are the optimal decarbonisation path for domestic heating systems, with district heating also being a competitive option that can be distributed.
According to DECC, there are currently no plans to provide grants to homeowners for BioLPG. This will be kept under review.
Liquid Gas Ireland (LGI) is in regular contact with government over making grants available to household owners for liquid gas.