Ireland’s renewables roadmaps could save billions

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has unveiled three energy roadmaps to 2050 focusing on the benefits of the country moving to a smart-grid.


Plans, which focus on increasing energy from wind, are designed to meet more of the country’s energy needs, in particular for heat and transport.

The series of energy roadmaps cover the potential benefits of a Irish smart-grid, wind energy and electric vehicles from 2011 to 2050.

They reveal possible savings of between 3.8bn euros and 7.5 billion euros, 1.8 million electric vehicles on Irish roads reducing transport fossil fuel imports by 50%, and Irish wind energy contributing 2.5% to EU electricity demand and offsetting up to 10bn euros of fossil fuel needs.

SEAI chief executive, Professor J. Owen Lewis, said: “The roadmaps are a further important mapping of the long term opportunities in energy and the road to a decarbonised energy system for Ireland.

“They show a great many benefits, including reduced energy imports leading to increased security of supply, increased use of renewables leading to lower CO2 emissions and significant employment and economic opportunities.

“Importantly, the roadmaps assist in informing the necessary decisions and actions about our long term ambition for sustainable energy in Ireland.”

Luke Walsh

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