Hydrogen Investor: Wind energy is vital to Ireland’s attractiveness

A top international hydrogen investor says Ireland’s wind energy potential makes it an ideal location for growing our energy industry and future power options. Alicia Eastman will be a key speaker at the World Hydrogen Technologies Convention in Dublin this October. Up to 2500 delegates are expected to attend the event, which will be worth up to €4m to the economy.

With nearly three decades of experience in investment, strategy, operations, and diplomacy, Alicia Eastman stands at the forefront of global sustainability and energy transition efforts. She is instrumental in developing some of the world’s largest green hydrogen and ammonia projects across Australia and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Eastman is pointing to Ireland’s export-led economy, strong demographics and specific energy needs as further evidence of a bright future for energy investment here:

“The Irish Government’s programme for capital investment in energy and infrastructure is well recognised. One of the biggest arguments for investing in a hydrogen project in Ireland is the potential to draw on a fantastic offshore wind resource – it’s a wonderful, stable source of energy that can serve the country well. When combined with solar and hydrogen, the capacity factor in Ireland could be quite high, lowering the costs and need for batteries or fossil fuel backup.

In addition, Ireland is known for being a positive, welcoming place to establish a business with a highly educated workforce and attractive business support”.

When it comes to moving away from fossil fuels, Alicia Eastman is committed to an energy optimisation approach:

“Nobody is expected to start from zero. My primary focus is energy optimisation, so first, I am interested in any technologies that optimise energy usage, as that’s a clear win financially and environmentally. Replacing fossil fuels becomes easier as we can be green and maintain or even reduce the total cost of ownership. This requires evaluating all existing and future energy resources that do not produce greenhouse gases and layering them in as they become technically and economically feasible, such as hydrogen and derivatives.”

Paul McCormack is CEO of Hydrogen Ireland, which will host WHTC2025. He welcomed Alicia’s approach: “We’ve been highlighting that hydrogen is not a silver bullet for our future energy needs for several years. Its role is as a vital energy vector that will act to maximise the potential and interaction of multiple forms of energy in our future lives.

We are building a programme of speakers for the World Hydrogen Technologies Convention this October that will present forward-thinking ideas and solutions in a location that is seen as having a bright and prosperous future in the world of renewables. There is no better place or time to bring these experts to our audience and spark new connections and possibilities in our sector”.

The World Hydrogen Technologies Convention is one of the best-known conventions in the fields of hydrogen energy and fuel cell technology. Garrett Monaghan, Partner, Pinsent Masons Ireland LLP and Chairperson of Hydrogen Ireland, says this is an exciting time for Ireland to host such a prestigious event:

“Internationally, hydrogen has rapidly evolved as an asset class with sharper and realistic focus on use cases, support schemes and project economics. With the volume of projected renewable electricity generation, Ireland can play a particular role in the production and application of hydrogen to existing and new sectors of the Irish and global economy. My colleagues at Hydrogen Ireland, our sponsors, and I are all looking forward to bringing everyone together”.

WHTC 2025 will take place at the Clayton Hotel Leeson Street from October 21 – 23. Registration is open now, and full details of the event are available at whtc2025.com