Wind energy monthly report – 30% of Ireland’s power provided in June

Wind Energy Ireland has released its June Wind Energy report, which shows that wind energy provided 30 per cent of Ireland’s electricity in June 2022, up 6 per cent on June 2021. Since the start of the year 36 per cent of Ireland’s electricity has come from wind.

This was wind energy’s best June performance on record, building on a similar record set for May. 

Prices on the wholesale electricity market rose back up to an average of €181.84 but the price of electricity when the wind was blowing strongest was half that, at €90.78, while on days with little to no wind prices rose to over €230.

Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, said: “The first half of the year has been exceptionally strong for Irish wind farms who have helped to protect Irish families and businesses from the worst effects of relying on increasingly expensive imported gas.

“New wind farms, along with solar and battery projects, will be connecting before the end of 2022 but we really need to accelerate the delivery of onshore renewables if we are to have any hope of staying within the expected carbon budget for the electricity sector.”

Image: Wind Energy Ireland

Planning delays

Delays in the planning system continue to slow the rate of connection of new wind farms. Although An Bord Pleanála has a statutory timeframe to decide applications from wind energy projects in 18 weeks the average time for a decision is more than a year.

Noel Cunniffe said: “Our planning system must be reformed and properly resourced to ensure that the renewable energy projects needed to cut our carbon emissions and drive down electricity bills can get built as quickly as possible.

“The Government must instruct An Bord Pleanála to prioritise planning applications for renewable energy and related electricity grid infrastructure so that they can be properly assessed, decisions made and we can get them connected.”

The results of this report are based on EirGrid’s SCADA data compiled by MullanGrid and on market data provided by ElectroRoute. This is the sixth in what will be a continuing series of monthly reports from Wind Energy Ireland. This series will play an important role in progressing the development of wind energy as an energy source in Ireland.