Ireland’s second RESS auction is expected to deliver up to 3,500 GWh of renewable electricity generation by the end of 2024.

The government is launching a second Renewable Electricity Support Program (RESS) auction to support Ireland’s ambition to have 80% electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

RESS is a competitive auction-based system that invites renewable electricity projects to bid for capacity and receive a guaranteed price for the electricity they produce.

At the first RESS auction last year, 82 renewable energy projects were approved, including around 160 new onshore wind turbines and 1,750 hectares of solar panels.

A second auction is one of the key actions to be defined in Ireland’s climate action plan 2021, which is expected to be announced by the government in the coming weeks. The plan will set targets, measures and actions in all sectors to meet the commitments made in the new legislative framework for climate action.

Environment, Climate and Communications Minister Eamon Ryan, TD, said growing dependence on renewables would shield Ireland from volatile international gas and carbon prices, which are close to an all-time high.

“We are moving out of peat and coal power generation and moving to clean, renewable energy sources, like wind and solar,” he said.

“RESS auctions were designed to meet our commitments to decarbonize our electricity grid, exploit our natural resources and bring renewable energies to the heart of our communities.

The second RESS auction has been brought forward compared to the initial schedule published in June and should now be open before the end of the year. It is expected to provide up to 3,500 GWh of renewable electricity production by the end of 2024.

The earliest would be best

Industry groups Renewable Energy Ireland and Wind Energy Ireland have welcomed the government’s decision to move the auction date forward to the end of this year, several months ahead of schedule.

Dr Tanya Harrington, president of Renewable Energy Ireland, said the past six months have made it clear that Ireland needs to step up the development of renewable energy at the start of this decade.

“Earlier he [the auction] opens up, the faster we can build and connect the wind and solar farms that will enable Ireland to meet our renewable energy target by 2030, ”she said.

Wind Energy Ireland praised the second RESS auction for its much larger volume than the first, which means more wind and solar farms can be successful this time around.

“Rising electricity prices and recent concerns about the security of Ireland’s energy supply have made it more important than ever that we connect more wind power as quickly as possible,” said Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland.

He added that nearly 1,000 MW of wind power projects with full building permits will seek to participate in the auction. “More wind power means less carbon emissions, cheaper electricity, more security of Ireland’s electricity supply and more jobs at home.”

Earlier this week, the Climate Change Advisory Council proposed Ireland’s first carbon budget to cut emissions by 4.8% per year through 2025, in line with the commitment to achieve a 51% reduction in emissions. emissions by 2030 compared to 2018 levels.

It preceded the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, which begins this weekend.

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