Ireland to develop Europe’s first gas transport network

NUI Galway and Gas Networks Ireland are working on a nationwide project that could bring about Europe’s first renewable gas transport network.

The two state-funded bodies are developing a system that will use compressed natural gas (CNG) to fuel motor vehicles and has the potential to revolutionise the transport network by massively lowering carbon emissions.

“Transport accounts for over one-third of all energy used in Ireland,” said Dennis O’Sullivan of Gas Networks Ireland.

“The development of a natural gas transport network will significantly de-carbonise Ireland’s commercial fleet,” he said. “CNG, and the soon to be introduced renewable gas, will play a major role in making transport in Ireland cleaner.”

The project, titled ‘Causeway’, will rely on the dissemination of 70 gas filling stations across Ireland that will be used for refuelling CNG.

It also plans to expand with the construction of a system facilitating renewable gas to the natural gas network across Ireland, a project that will be used to implement similar systems across Europe.

The project received a funding of €6.5 million from the EU Connecting Europe Facility, a subsidiary of the European Commission.

President of NUI Galway Jim Browne said the achievement is a result of several years’ research in the field of renewable gas and he will look forward to facilitating similar projects in other EU states.

Prepared and edited by Arthur Velker.

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