Significant Reliance on Imported Fossil Fuels Leaves Ireland Exposed to Global Energy Shocks Despite Renewable Energy Progress

New data from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) shows Ireland continuing to make progress in transitioning to cleaner energy, but the country remains heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels, leaving Ireland exposed to international energy price volatility.

SEAI’s latest First Look: Ireland’s Energy Supply and Security of Supply 2025 note shows renewable energy continued to grow while fossil fuel use declined in 2025.

However, imported fuels still dominate Ireland’s energy system.

• Overall, almost four-fifths (78.2%) of Ireland’s energy requirement continued to be met through imports in 2025, substantially higher than the latest available EU average of 57.3%.
• Almost 93% of those imports were fossil fuels, with Ireland importing all of its oil and coal requirements and more than 82% of its natural gas.
• The note also demonstrates continued progress in Ireland’s energy transition. Renewable energy accounted for a record 15.9% of Ireland’s total energy requirement in 2025, increasing by 6.8% compared with the previous year.
• At the same time, fossil fuel use declined by 4.7%, with coal use falling sharply by almost 45%.
• Ireland’s overall energy requirement also reduced by 2.2% compared with 2024, while energy-related emissions fell by 3.7% to their lowest level in more than three decades.

The UK remained Ireland’s largest supplier, accounting for more than half (55.5%) of all energy imports in 2025, followed by the US (16.9%) and EU countries (16.2%). Expanding indigenous renewable energy continues to strengthen national energy security and reduce dependence on both imported fuels and declining national gas reserves.

Wind remained Ireland’s largest renewable energy source, accounting for almost half of all renewable energy supplied in 2025. Solar PV continued its strong growth – up 50% since 2024 and 150% since 2023 – recording the largest annual increase of any renewable technology, reflecting continued investment in both rooftop solar and utility-scale developments.

Solar PV accounted for over 6% of Ireland’s renewable energy supply in 2025. Heat pumps, biomass and biofuels also contributed to growth in renewable energy supply, meaning that almost two-thirds (64.9%) of all energy produced within Ireland now comes from renewable sources.

Publishing the findings, CEO of SEAI William Walsh said:

“While we are making some progress on renewables – with solar in particular continuing its remarkable growth, Ireland is still too reliant on imported fossil fuels, leaving our economy vulnerable to events outside of our control. We’ve seen in recent months how quickly sharp increases in global oil and gas prices can feed into our home heating bills, transport costs and overheads for business. By continuing to invest in our country’s huge potential for wind and solar, we can give homes and businesses better security and certainty over the cost of the energy they use, as well as improving health and comfort levels.”

Despite progress, fossil fuels still accounted for 79.2% of Ireland’s overall energy requirement in 2025, with oil and natural gas together supplying more than three-quarters of the country’s energy needs. Less than half of Ireland’s electricity supply came from fully indigenous sources and fuels during the year, underlining the importance of further continuing to accelerate renewable electricity deployment, invest in electricity networks and storage, and improve energy efficiency.

William Walsh added: “We made some good progress last year, getting our reliance on fossil fuel down below 80% for the first time and bringing renewable energy share to record levels, but we need to do a lot more. Continuing to grow our capacity for wind and solar, improving energy efficiency – doing more with less, and reducing overall energy demand will be critical to strengthening Ireland’s energy security, reducing dependence on imported fuels and building a more resilient, affordable and sustainable energy system.”