Renewables Provide a Third of Electricity as July Marks First Month of New Coal-Free Era

Just under a third of electricity came from renewables in July, the first month of a new coal-free era for Ireland’s power system.

Provisional data from electricity grid operator EirGrid shows that 32% of electricity came from wind, grid-scale solar and other renewable sources last month. Wind energy met 24% of total demand, with 6% coming from solar.

July saw another significant peak in grid-connected solar generation with a new record of 798 MW registered, up 30 MW from the previous record.

July also marked the first full month in which coal did not feature in Ireland’s electricity fuel mix, after its use was discontinued at Moneypoint in June after 40 years.

Gas was the single largest source of electricity generation in July at 51%, with imports at 15%.

Overall electricity system demand stood at 2,734 GWh (Gigawatt Hours) for July.

Once again, fluctuations in electricity demand were noticeable during this year’s GAA All-Ireland finals last month, with increases of around 80 MW coinciding with half-times as viewers switched on kettles and other appliances during breaks in play.

Investment in the electricity grid, such as that announced in the National Development Plan last month, will be vital for enabling the necessary upgrades and reinforcements to the grid to ensure it is resilient and capable of accommodating greater amounts of renewable energy in future.

Commenting on the data, Diarmaid Gillespie, Director of System Operations at EirGrid, said: “As the power system marked the first full month of a new coal-free era, we’ve continued to see new milestones set for grid-scale solar power with the peak now standing at just below the 800 Megawatt mark as of July – a figure that may still be surpassed over the coming months.”