Diarmuid Gillespie, Eirgrid, looks at the tranformation of Ireland's Electricity Sector (Presentation delivered at the inaugural National Energy Research and Policy Conference, Dublin, Nov 2019)

1. Transformation of Ireland’s electricity sector
Diarmaid Gillespie
Operations, Planning & Innovation, EirGrid Group

2. Installed Wind: 2000 - 2019

3. 2018 Ireland Fuel Mix

4. UK and Irish Government plans
Power System 2020
75% SNSP 40% RES-E
700 MW Demand Side
5.5 GW Wind/Solar
1000 MW IC
30 TWh Demand (IE)
5.5 GW Peak (IE)

5. How did we get here?
2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020
Facilitation of
Renewables Studies
2020
DS3 Programme
Established
Grid Code, ROCOF &
System Services identified
All Island WSAT
55% SNSP
Phase 1 System
Services
Implemented
Control Centre
Tools
75% SNSP, 40%
RES-E, <6%
curtailment

6. Ireland is seeing the impacts first

7. Changing Demand Mix

8. Changing Generation Mix

9. Storage and Demand Side Management

10. The Strategy Pyramid (full)
Power System 2030
>95% SNSP 70% RES-E
1500 MW Demand Side
15 GW Wind/Solar
2200 MW IC
45 TWh Demand (IE)
6.8 GW Peak (IE)

11. Six Dimensions
How will we get there?
• Connect 10 GW of renewable generation
• Reinforce the grid & build further interconnection
• Complete technical analysis for 2030
• Break technical barriers
• Develop and implement System Services for 2030
• Implement grid optimisation solutions
• New control centre tools
• Market evolution

12. Challenges
• Connecting renewables and building grid
• National & European policy
• Future market design / pricing
• Connection property right / flexible demand
• Forecast uncertainty – hours/days
• Lower electromagnetism
• TSO/DSO engagement critical to success
• Alignment with Northern Ireland

13. Research Needs
• EirGrid is looking for partnerships – Industry and Academia
• Applied research required
 Applicable to TSO & DSO
 Research should pull the industry with it
• Pioneering innovation – Ireland needs to take lead
 World with no synchronous generation
 Grid build challenges
 Active consumers
• Low magnetism systems research required

14. Policy Needs
• Implementing certain energy policies may bring challenges
• All Island policy making critical to an All Island Power System
• Market design when incremental cost of electricity is zero?
 System Services needs to be centre of design
 Adequate capacity required for when wind “does not blow”
• Redesign of Use of System tariffs needed
• Holistic approach to energy policy required

15. Thank you!