WHEN Northern Ireland’s new energy strategy hit email in-boxes last Thursday afternoon, the countdown to 2030 began, and it's all about eight years.
Eight years to make the leap from 42 per cent of electricity consumed from renewable sources to 70 per cent.
Eight years to double the amount of renewable energy connected on the grid today.
Eight years to continue innovating and collaborating so that we can manage even larger volumes of intermittent energy, without compromising security of supply.
Can we do it? We must, for the planet and for future generations.
As electricity system operator, SONI has played a key role in Northern Ireland’s clean energy journey to date. We are world leaders at integrating renewable energy on the grid. Over the past 20 years,along with our colleagues at NIE Networks, we have connected more than 1300MW of onshore wind and solar to the grid, that’s enough to power almost one million homes.
The race to net zero is already under way and Northern Ireland is well positioned to become a clean energy champion. The publication of the new energy strategy sets the direction which the energy industry, businesses, consumers, communities and landowners must all now travel.
During the last two years, we have carefully considered the strong signposting from Economy Ministers that a target of no less than 70 per cent electricity from renewables by 2030 is challenging but achievable.
While supporting our colleagues in the Department for the Economy, with data and analysis to inform their strategy development, we were also preparing our own plan called Shaping Our Electricity Future for readying the transmission grid, markets and our operations to facilitate the new energy strategy.
We now have a clear roadmap to 2030 and to achieving Northern Ireland’s clean energy target. Through Shaping Our Electricity Future we have identified a number of grid investments needed to move bulk loads of clean energy from the north and west where it is mostly produced to the east, where most electricity is used.
We need to invest in our operations to allow us to manage larger volumes of intermittent clean energy, so that when people flick a switch at home, they still have the secure and quality electricity supply they’ve come to expect.
We also know that the way people use, buy and sell electricity will change and so the markets need to evolve. We have already started the work, and we’re doing it is as cost-effectively as possible with consumers in mind. Through our consultation exercise, we know that people want us to provide a balanced solution and that means an affordable, secure and increasingly clean electricity supply.
During recent months increases in global gas prices have impacted all consumers in Northern Ireland and we welcome the focus on fuel diversity in the energy strategy which will reduce our current reliance on fossil fuels.
Northern Ireland has rich onshore wind and solar resources to provide electricity consumers with a secure, cost effective and clean supply to 2030 and beyond. Longer-term, off shore wind in particular, is essential to the path to net zero. Additional interconnection to Ireland and GB will mean that Northern Ireland can export this clean energy when demand is lower, and when combined with new technologies such as battery storage will increase our electricity security.
The clock is ticking, but the energy strategy has set the guiderails for Northern Ireland industry and our world class engineers to get on with what they do best: providing future focused solutions for our society.
:: Alan Campbell is managing director of SONI
