Cover story: Energy Bridge: Ireland’s opportunity
Thursday, April 11th, 2013Mainstream Renewable Power’s Andy Kinsella talks to Owen McQuade about the renewable energy developer’s ambitious plans to export wind energy into the UK market. “It is now accepted that Ireland is in a leading position when it comes to renewable energy. As I travel the world it comes up over and over again and it is huge credit to the policy-makers and all those who made that happen,” says Andy Kinsella, who is CEO of Mainstream’s offshore wind business and responsible for the company’s Energy Bridge project. Mainstream Renewable Power is a continuity play from Airtricity,...[full story]
Energy: The way ahead for Irish energy
Thursday, April 11th, 2013As one of the leading energy providers in Ireland, Bord Gáis Energy is committed to delivering sustainable energy solutions and has been working towards the reduction of energy consumption, more efficient production and investment in future technologies that will help Ireland to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels. Dave Kirwan, Managing Director, discusses how Bord Gáis Energy adopted renewable energy as part of its commercial strategy, the challenges facing the Irish energy market and his views on the future of Irish energy. Renewables portfolio Ten years ago, before entering the...[full story]
Energy: Golden rules for natural gas
Thursday, April 11th, 2013Tim Gould of the International Energy Agency outlined the prospects for unconventional gas during an Energy Ireland seminar and reviewed the main findings of a new IEA report entitled ‘The Golden Rules for a Golden Age of Gas.’ Although natural gas demand fell by11 per cent in Europe during 2011 due to the economic downturn, the International Energy Agency believes we are on the cusp of a ‘golden age’ of natural gas. The downturn has also played a role in reducing CO2 emissions in Europe over the past five years. The biggest fall of any country or region was in the US with a...[full story]
Energy: Trusted service partner
Thursday, April 11th, 2013With 142 operational wind turbines in Ireland Siemens has built up a significant service presence across the island. Gary O’Callaghan and his Energy Services team outline their service offering and look to a future that will see significant growth. Delivering top quality customer service is a hugely significant part of our business strategy at Siemens. Our business strategy is driven by the macroeconomic environment in which our customers operate and is also underpinned by our value system which is defined by three words: “Responsible”, “Excellent” and “Innovative”. Taking...[full story]
Energy: Integrating electricity markets
Thursday, April 11th, 2013Electricity markets expert David Newbery talks to Owen McQuade about the integration of European markets and the impact on the Irish Single Electricity Market (SEM). David Newbery is Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Cambridge and a research fellow at Imperial College London, specialising in electricity markets. Being an independent member of the Irish Single Electricity Market Committee and having been an advisor to the UK House of Commons on electricity market reform, he is well placed to highlight the issues in integrating the Irish and GB electricity markets. With...[full story]
Energy: Demand Side Management vs. Energy Efficiency: David and Goliath?
Thursday, April 11th, 2013For electricity consumers, demand side management is the new, and largely unknown kid on the block. Up until now, some consumers (mostly large ones) participated in the Winter Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (WPDRS) – a scheme that was introduced a decade ago when electricity capacity margins were tight, however that scheme has just closed. It had offered demand reduction at predetermined peak times (weekdays 5-7), and at times of the year when capacity margins traditionally shrunk (winter). With much larger current capacity margins of 2GW following a sharp demand destruction since the...[full story]
Fracking: Responsible fracking
Thursday, April 11th, 2013Within the right safeguards, hydraulic fracturing can improve energy’s security of supply and reduce methane emissions, geophysicist Peter Styles tells Peter Cheney. He also thinks that many fears about fracking can be allayed by looking at the scientific evidence. High carbon emissions, earthquakes and fires are three of the common objections raised by opponents of fracking but a geophysicist with 35 years’ experience says that each of those problems can be dealt with if the process is managed carefully. Peter Styles is the Professor of Applied and Environmental Geophysics at the...[full story]
Roadmap 2050: The Commission’s vision of a carbon-free Europe
Monday, May 28th, 2012eolas examines the European Commission’s Roadmap 2050 which outlines various paths to a decarbonised Europe by 2050. Roadmap 2050 has concluded that Europe’s energy production will have to be almost carbon-free in order to reach the Commission’s latest target of reducing emissions by 80-95 per cent of 1990 levels over the next 38 years. Most recent statistics show that the level of the EU 27’s greenhouse gas emissions has fallen by 15 per cent from 5.59 billion tonnes in 1990 to 4.72 billion tonnes in 2010. Following the Commission’s 2020 targets will reduce emissions by 40...[full story]
Gaslinks: The future of the single EU gas market
Monday, May 28th, 2012Gaslink outlines its role in Ireland and Europe and its input in shaping the Single European Gas Market. Gaslink was set up in July 2008 in response to a European Union directive that set-out the requirement of unbundling the functions of Transmission Systems Operator (TSO) and Distribution Systems Operator (DSO) functions from those of a vertically-integrated gas entity. Under the meaning of the directive, Bord Gáis Éireann (BGE) is recognised as a vertically-integrated gas entity, and as a result Gaslink was established to comply with the unbundling requirements. Gaslink holds both...[full story]
Phoenix gas: Fuelling the future
Monday, May 28th, 2012Around 130 delegates from across the island of Ireland recently attended the all-island Natural Gas Conference hosted by Phoenix Energy Ltd. The Conference examined the key issues facing the natural gas industry in Ireland with a primary focus on examining energy market trends and price forecasts. The conference showcased a raft of high calibre speakers, which included a presentation from Mark C Lewis who is Managing Director of Deutsche Bank’s global commodities research division. His research on power, gas and emissions markets has been ranked number one by the benchmark Energy Risk...[full story]
