Ireland has unveiled a hugely ambitious Climate Action Plan, calling for 70% renewables in its electricity mix by 2030, including up to 8.2GW of onshore wind (up from around 3.3GW today), at least 3.5GW of offshore wind (from 2023 onwards), and up to 1.5GW of solar.

It also calls for 15% of this renewable energy to be contracted by companies under corporate power-purchase agreements (PPAs).

And for the first time, the government has said that there will be specific support for offshore wind under its forthcoming energy auction system, the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), which the action plan describes as “the key policy measure that will drive the delivery of our 70% RES-E target, attracting significant international investment in the renewable sector in Ireland and driving down consumer costs”.

Until now, the government had said that the RESS, which is “expected to open for applications by the end of 2019”, will be technology-neutral, with winners determined by cost alone — which would have given onshore wind the competitive edge. The report does not explain how the specific support for offshore wind would work, yet adds: “The exact level of offshore wind, onshore wind, solar and other renewable technology will be determined by a new system of competitive auctions where the lowest cost technology will be determined.”

Meeting the 70% target — a huge increase from about 30% today to one of the world’s highest levels of renewables penetration — “will involve phasing out coal- and peat-fired electricity generation plants, increasing our renewable electricity, reinforcing our grid (including greater interconnection to allow electricity to flow between Ireland and other countries), and putting systems in place to manage intermittent sources of power, especially from wind”, says the report, which was issued by the government late on Monday.

It adds that the intermittency and unpredictability of renewables “creates new challenges for utilities, market participants, and policy makers. Intermittency also creates the need for a range of technology solutions which may include large-scale interconnection [including new links to France and the UK], storage, and dispatchable capacity (eg, natural gas plants that can generate electricity at times where there is no wind). There is no one-size-fits-all answer to supporting 70% renewables.”

“Reaching 70% renewable electricity on the grid will be one of the world’s highest levels of renewable penetration.”

The Climate Action Plan’s ambition is huge, pointing out that this turnaround in carbon emissions will require “profound change in the systems and practices which support our lifestyle”.

“Every home, every community, every workplace and every farm, must be mobilised to get involved. Every network which supports our lives – energy, transport, telecommunication, public service, waste management – must adapt rapidly.

“If we delay the transition we, as a country, shall most certainly face greater costs and fewer opportunities. The reality is that, only by adapting now, can our enterprises remain competitive and our society resilient.”

The action plan also requires that all new cars and vans will be electric by 2030, and it sets new targets for energy efficiency, agriculture, waste, and “enterprises and services”.

Ireland recently came under attack from the International Energy Agency for not being on target to meet its 2020 and 2030 emissions and renewables targets.

At the plan's launch in Dublin, climate action minister Richard Bruton admitted that Ireland has been a "laggard" until now.

The country is now 85% dependent on fossil fuels (in final energy consumption), and its emissions were “rapidly rising”, according to a statement from Bruton’s department.

“We have a short window of opportunity to reverse this trend and secure a better, healthier, more resilient future for the country. This means changing the way we heat our homes, the way we travel and the way we power our country.

“This plan identifies how Ireland will achieve its 2030 targets for carbon emissions, and puts us on a trajectory to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar told the launch that the plan set out "a way forward that is both effective and sensible. One that achieves our targets, and in a way that is thought through and considered, supports employment and living standards and enables a just transition".

State-owned utility ESB, which will carry the lion's share of the responsibility for meeting the 70% target, said it was fully behind the plan, which would help show other countries what can be done.

"Today marks a significant milestone in Ireland’s energy future," said chief executive Pat O'Doherty. "It will inform the wider electricity industry on the actions to be taken as we transition to a low carbon society. At ESB, we are committed to playing our part in reaching the ambitious target of 70 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030."

Transition

Ireland's new climate plan calls for 70% renewables by 2030