Professor Brian Norton

In 2014, EirGrid as part of their Grid25 programme, indicated the needed to build the 'Grid Link' Project - a new 400 kV line from Cork to Dublin to export renewables from the West of Ireland up to Dublin. The project was shelved on the back of public backlash and instead EirGrid adopted an approach of 'maximising what we have', which was fine to get us to 2020 but how we wish we had a project like this in play today to help drive decarbonisation and future industrial development accross the country. Roll forward to 2025 and Uisce Eireann are building a 170km long water pipeline from Limerick to Dublin, a potentially once in a lifetime project where all landowners are in process of being signed up and it begs the question, when will we ever get a chance in our lifetime to secure that length of land for an infrastructure project again? It seems like a no brainer to take the time to include additional ducting and services along this corridor to future proof our electricity system and our economy. There are various Government Working groups looking at this question of 'How do we build linear infrastructure quicker in Ireland?' I think we need to start by working more collaboratively. That means all agencies of the state, state land owners, willing investors in the energy, water, housing, roads or wider infrastructure sector working together to deliver infrastructure collaboratively - not on a piecemeal basis. Why go to the effort of securing wayleaves from landowners for a water pipeline or gas pipeline and not include ducting for future electrical transmission corridors. Why open up roads or motorways or plan new major road or rail infrastructure projects and not include other key services such as electricity, fiber or gas. Joined up thinking on infrastructure can make such a huge difference. 💡 "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

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Ireland | Summer saw a record volume of electricity imports (625GWh in June) in the All-Island system. The commissioning of the 500MW Greenlink Interconnector this year has led to an increase in net imports, exceeding the previous record year of 2024. Interconnectors typically flow power from low-price to high-price markets, with the magnitude of flow influenced by the capacity of the interconnector, however price and volume effects can combine to reinforce flows. In Ireland’s case, lower-priced power and a higher volume of available power in the UK and Northwest Europe (notably France and Norway) are driving high volumes of flows into the UK and Ireland. Net imports of electricity are also a feature of the UK market, averaging about 15% of demand for 2025, with near-record levels set for July 2025. Imports of electricity into Ireland are environmentally beneficial because of the high domestic carbon content of electricity in Ireland relative to our neighbours (see research by UCC in comments), but increased imports raise concerns about energy security and the erosion of domestic supply. The power sector in Ireland has a legal national cumulative limit of 40 million tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution for the period 2021 to 2025. I estimate the sector will come close to the target but likely exceed it by 1 to 2 million tonnes. This overshoot will be carried forward to the next obligation period from 2026 to 2030. While the future political vision for the power sector in Ireland is to be a net exporter of electricity, the present and near-term outlook is to remain a significant net importer. According to SEAI, Ireland imported 25 times more electricity in 2024 than it exported and accounted for 14% of supply. The planned Celtic Interconnector to France, due in 2028, will increase net imports into Ireland. EDF has increased its provisional outlook for nuclear generation out to 2027, meaning higher volumes of lower-priced power will amplify imports into Ireland.

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Today marks the beginning of a “once in a generation” investment in Northern Ireland’s electricity infrastructure. The Big Network Rebuild will future-proof our electricity network, ensuring it’s robust, resilient, and ready for a decarbonised future. Over the next six years, NIE Networks will: ✅ Rebuild and refurbish 14,000km of the distribution network ✅ Increase capacity and resilience across 11kV, 33kV, and low voltage networks ✅ Minimise disruption through innovative technologies and customer-first planning This ambitious £250m investment programme is a key driver for Northern Ireland’s long-term growth, supporting both domestic and business needs. 📍 Learn more https://ow.ly/APMj50WWI0L #BigNetworkRebuild #InfrastructureInvestment #NorthernIreland #EnergyTransition #NIENetworks

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Grid scale Solar PV continues to grow at pace in Ireland (from a small base). This year as early as July, Solar PV had already generated as much electricity as the entire 12 months of 2024 and as early as May surpassed 2023 generation figures. Based on increased capacity and generation figures this year, Grid Scale Solar PV could contribute approx. 1.2 TWh of electricity in 2025. As projects continue to be connected to the grid and move through the planning system, Solar PV will play a bigger part of Ireland's electricity mix. As of June 2025, Solar PV was the third highest generator of electricity in Ireland at 3.2% of total generation in Ireland. While panels have fallen significantly in price, the RESS 4 average auction price for solar was €104 per MWh. It will be interesting to see in our next renewable auction if Solar PV prices per MWh will see any decrease similar, to experiences in other jurisdictions (AR 5 results in UK equivalent to €75 per MWh in 2024 money). Post and graph inspired by Jan Rosenow latest UK solar post.

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Discover how one Irish home is leading the way to a cleaner, smarter energy future with Sigenergy’s all-in-one AI-powered energy system. Filmed in Limerick, this flagship case study captures Ireland’s transition from fossil fuels, in this case Oil heating, to renewable, intelligent power, showcasing the benefits of solar generation, battery storage, EV charging, off-grid back up and advanced energy management all in one system. From cinematic establishing shots to real homeowner experiences, this production highlights how Sigenergy is making energy independence accessible in Ireland & around the world, while delivering sustainability, security, long-term savings, and value for money. #sigenergy #sigenstor #energystorage #solar #pv #ireland

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