Electricity Generation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022

Tuesday, 26 July 2022

Ceisteanna (120)

Darren O'Rourke

Ceist:

120. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount of coal that was burned at Moneypoint power station in the first six months of 2021 and the first six months of 2022; the estimated percentage of the increased use of coal for electricity generation in 2022 will have on Ireland’s carbon emissions in 2022, compared to the original 2022 carbon emissions estimates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40803/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just recently published Ireland’s Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions to the end of 2021 which can be accessed on their website www.epa.ie. The report states that emissions from electricity generation in 2021 were 9.4% higher than the pre-pandemic 2019 year, due to increased use of coal and oil for electricity generation, with higher than normal unavailability of gas-fired generation and 2021 being a less windy year than 2020, with a consequent reduction in renewable electricity generation.

The SEAI publish a monthly report on electricity generation in Ireland and report that for the period January to May 2022, 1,107 GWh of electricity was produced from coal. Electricity generation from coal for the same period in 2021 totalled 1,000 GWh. The EPA have not produced emissions data for 2022 yet.