Page 26 - European Energy Innovation - Summer 2017 publication

26 Summer 2017 European Energy Innovation

COMMUNICATION

A network for Ireland’s low
carbon future

“The Irish are renowned worldwide for their
friendliness. However, despite that reputation
for affability, we seem to prefer living as far away
from one another as possible.” So says Marguerite
Sayers, Managing Director of ESB Networks, the electricity
distribution operator in the Republic of Ireland, explaining
one of the challenges of delivering electricity infrastructure
in Ireland.

Ms Sayers explains that Ireland’s scattered population made The control centre (above)
the electrification of rural Ireland, which took place between and Marguerite Sayers,
1946 and 1976, a phenomenal undertaking. “It has been Managing Director, ESB
described by historians as ‘the quiet revolution’, given the Networks
lasting societal impact the arrival of electricity had on lives in
homes, farms and villages across rural Ireland.” transport will be key to
Ireland’s transition to a low
ESB Networks has been building on that proud legacy, in carbon future. “We are
an understated but determined fashion. “Today, about one working on trials to assess
third of Ireland’s population live outside of cities and towns, the impact this increased
which creates challenges for ESB Networks. As such, Ireland electrification is likely to
has four times the European average of length of network have on our low voltage
per capita,” says Ms Sayers. system. The Plangrid EV
project, again funded by Horizon 2020, looks at distribution
ESB Networks has invested €6bn in the electricity system in grid planning and operational principles for mass electric
recent years, driven by Ireland’s commitment to source 40 vehicle roll-out while enabling distributed energy resource
percent of electricity requirements from renewable sources integration.”
by 2020. “Part of this project focused on our low voltage
network, converting 50,000 km of 10kV network to 20kV And staying with mass EV roll-out, Ms Sayers outlines the
operation. As well as doubling the capacity of the network, separate SUCCESS project which concentrates on the
the conversion resulted in energy loss savings equivalent potential cyber risks posed by the public charging network
of taking 15,000 cars off the road and constitutes the single and how the network can remain secure.
largest energy efficiency project ever undertaken in Ireland.”
A wave of world-class companies have located to Ireland with
ESB Networks has to-date connected more than 3,000MW the confidence that the electricity infrastructure will meet their
of renewables to the system (which has an annual peak load needs. This has enabled Ireland to become a world leader
of circa 5,000MW), much of this onshore wind farms located in industry and technology, transforming beyond recognition
in remote locations on Ireland’s western seaboard. Ms the rural, agrarian society of 70 years ago.
Sayers outlines the on-going European Union collaboration
– primarily through Horizon 2020 funding - for many ESB “As we look to a low carbon future powered by a smart
Networks projects. “With a current TSO operational limit in electricity grid, we continue to serve our 2.3 million
Ireland at 60 per cent instantaneous penetration renewable industrial, commercial and domestic electricity customers
generation, we are part of the EU RESERVE project that is with pride,” Ms Sayers concludes.
exploring how to stabilise the electricity system for up to
100 percent renewables.” The quiet revolution continues. l

Through a separate EU project, EvolvDSO, ESB Networks Contact details:
is developing the tools to accommodate the growing www.esbnetworks.ie
distributed renewable energy sources in the generation mix,
and the increasingly proactive demand for electricity.

Ms Sayers goes on to explain that, as we reduce electricity
generation emissions, the electrification of heat and

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