EirGrid, the national grid operator, could utilise emergency power plants to bolster electricity supplies, as a potential record increase in demand is anticipated this winter, according to an imminent report.
The company’s forthcoming Winter Outlook, which offers a prospective view of electricity supply and demand over the upcoming months, shows a significant decrease in the risk of power loss for homes or businesses compared to prior years.
Throughout the winter, EirGrid has the capability to engage temporary gas- and diesel-run power plants “as a last resort” if demand exceeds all-Ireland electricity market supplies. These four plants, constructed over the preceding year, collectively have the capability to produce 505 megawatts (MW), which marginally surpasses the average output of Ireland’s natural gas-fired power stations.
Two power plants, located on Dublin’s North Wall and on Energia’s Huntstown site in the North County, utilise gas, whereas the other two at Shannonbridge, Co Offaly, and Tarbert Co Clare operate on a diesel variant known as distillate, as stated by EirGrid. These stations can be swiftly activated to cater for demand surges, likely to be prevalent during evenings in mid-winter.
EirGrid emphasises a preference not to depend on the emergency generators, pledging to employ them as a final measure during electricity supply crises. The operator forecasts a new record winter demand peaking at 5,834MW, surpassing last January’s peak of 5,577MW, as stated in its 2024 Winter Outlook, due to be released on Tuesday. This additional demand can be attributed to an increased number of electricity-dependent businesses, such as data centres, newly erected houses and the country’s general economic expansion.
Additionally, EirGrid is equipped with three novel gas-fired power plants, with a combined capacity of 190MW, constructed by the ESB around Dublin to utilize this winter. These facilities are not considered emergency resources and are intended to distribute electricity to the market.
Moreover, batteries designed to generate up to 270MW over a 2-3 hour period will be accessible to ensure power supply. These batteries store electricity from renewable and other sources during low-demand intervals and can then supply power as needed.
In recent years, imports of British electricity by the Republic have escalated, a trend which the grid operator projects to persist.
EirGrid, a state-owned enterprise, anticipates that this winter season, from late October to late March, power supply will be more secure than past winters. It predicts that the total power supply may fall short of demand for a mere three hours and 36 minutes, drastically lower than 21 hours last winter and substantially less than 53 hours in the 2022/23 winter period. It’s worth noting that in both years, it was not necessary for EirGrid to disrupt power distribution to any customers.
This increased power supply capacity reduces the likelihood of the company issuing any “system alerts” – warning of an imminent supply security issue – which were more common in past years. EirGrid is known to have released amber alerts in previous years, to warn of potential concerns over reserve power levels. There were no instances, however, of such alerts during the past winter period.
EirGrid admits that the potential for issuing such warnings is greatest when wind power generation and imports from the UK are minimal. The company reassures consumers that the possibility of entering a red emergency state, where generation falls short of demand, is expected to be low this winter.
Diarmaid Gillespie, who directs system operations at EirGrid, expressed optimism regarding the considerable improvements in the situation this winter compared to previous ones.