Uimhir Thagarta Uathúil:
SD-C292-CAP-16
Stádas:
Submitted
Submission:
Renewable Gases: Biomethane and Green Hydrogen
Comhairliúchán:
South Dublin County Council Draft Climate Action Plan 2024-2029
Dáta a cuireadh isteach:
03.11.2023 - 11:50
Teorainneacha Gafa ar an léarscáil:
Níl
Gas Networks Ireland
Gas Networks Ireland operates and maintains Ireland’s €2.7bn, 14,664 km national gas network supplying over 720,000 Irish homes and businesses. GNI has developed a gas network that plays a central role in Ireland’s energy system, supporting a diversified and growing economy which is dependent on secure energy supply. GNI supplies more than 30% of Ireland’s total energy requirement, including 40% of all heating and on average c.50% of the country’s electricity generation requirements. Gas Networks Ireland is now working on replacing natural gas with renewable gases, such as biomethane and hydrogen, to substantially reduce the country’s carbon emissions while ensuring a secure energy supply.
Introduction
Gas Networks Ireland supports South Dublin County Council’s Climate Action Plan 2024-2029 and welcomes the opportunity to reply to the public consultation. Set out below are several points for consideration in relation to the role renewable gases, such as biomethane and green hydrogen, will play in the energy transition and decarbonising Ireland’s national and local economies.
Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2023 highlights that “decarbonised gases such as biomethane and green hydrogen are a critical component for Ireland’s energy ecosystem”[1]. The Government have set an ambitious target for biomethane production in Ireland of up to 5.7 TWh by 2030, which equates to approximately 10% of current gas usage in Ireland. The Government also recently published the National Hydrogen Strategy[2], setting out the strategic vision on the role that hydrogen will play in Ireland’s energy system, looking to its role as a key component of a zero-carbon economy.
Based on the significance the Irish Government attaches to renewable gases, the role these gases will play in reaching Ireland’s national climate objectives, and with potential for both biomethane and green hydrogen in South Dublin - whether through their use in the local economy or their production using local feedstock (municipal and agricultural waste for biomethane and renewable electricity from solar and offshore wind power generation for green hydrogen) - Gas Networks Ireland suggest that the new South Dublin County Council’s Climate Action Plan references both.
In addition, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) can play a key role in the decarbonisation of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV), particularly when combined with biomethane (bio-CNG), and contribute to air quality improvement.
The following provides additional information in relation to biomethane, hydrogen and CNG/bio-CNG, which could be considered for the Climate Action Plan’s Energy and Buildings, Circular Economy and Resource Management, and Transport sections.
Should you wish to discuss any of the points in our submission, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
[1] Climate Action Plan 2023
[2] National Hydrogen Strategy
[3] European Commission: An assessment of the potential of biogas from digestion in the EU beyond 2020
[4] SEAI National Heat Study
Biomethane
Biomethane is a renewable gas mainly produced from agricultural feedstocks (such as animal manures, grass, grass silage, etc) and municipal waste (food and garden waste) through a process known as anaerobic digestion. Biomethane can seamlessly replace natural gas on the national gas network today and is fully compatible with existing appliances, technologies, and vehicles. It can reduce emissions within key sectors of the economy, including heating, industry, transport, and power generation, while also supporting the decarbonisation of the agri-food sector.
The production of indigenous gas in Ireland supports the circular economy, sustainable agriculture, and can contribute to municipal waste management. Waste can be diverted from landfills that negatively affect the environment and be used to produce biomethane instead. For agriculture, as well as reducing on-farm emissions and supporting more sustainable supply chains, an indigenous biomethane industry can also provide significant opportunities for local communities.
An indigenous biomethane industry is also crucial for enhancing the security and diversity of Ireland’s energy supply, reducing our reliance on imported energy. The European Commission identified Ireland as having the highest potential for biomethane production per capita in the EU.[3] Biomethane is already flowing on the national gas network today, having been first introduced to the network in 2019.
Green Hydrogen
Green hydrogen is a carbon free gas that can be produced from renewable electricity and is well suited for storage, making it an attractive option to decarbonise energy systems and drive a cleaner energy future for Ireland. The potential for green hydrogen in Ireland is significant, with the SEAI reporting in its 2022 National Heat Study[4] that the technical potential to produce hydrogen in Ireland (primarily from offshore wind) to be 90 TWh.
As Gas Networks Ireland works towards decarbonising our national gas infrastructure, hydrogen will play an integral role in Ireland’s energy future. Green hydrogen enables the optimisation and full exploitation of renewable electricity potential in Ireland by utilising excess generation that would otherwise be curtailed to produce green hydrogen.
Hydrogen networks will play a key role in this future system, similar to the role played by the natural gas network today, supporting the deployment of increased renewable energy, providing resilience and flexibility to the electricity system, and serving the needs of high heat industries and businesses across the country. Ireland and the EU have committed themselves to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Hydrogen will be key to enabling the decarbonisation of sectors that are difficult to electrify such as high industrial heat, heavy transport, and power generation.
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG / bio-CNG) for transport
Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are responsible for a disproportionate amount of transport emissions and decarbonisation of HGVs is particularly challenging as electricity is currently not a viable alternative to diesel. CNG/bio-CNG has the potential to address these transport emissions with significantly reduced carbon emissions relative to diesel – making CNG/bio-CNG the ideal fuel for decarbonising Ireland’s HGVs fleet. CNG/bio-CNG is a proven, safe, and reliable technology and refuelling is much quicker than competitors.
While immediate carbon emissions reductions can be realised by switching to CNG today, more significant savings are coming. Biomethane, which is entirely compatible with existing gas infrastructure, technology, and vehicles, is now flowing onto the national gas network. As Ireland gradually replaces natural gas with renewable, carbon neutral gas, vehicles refuelling from the gas network will increasingly reduce their carbon footprint without changing a thing.
In addition to reduced carbon emissions, CNG/bio-CNG also provides improved air quality with no additives and drastically less emission of nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide and particulate matter relative to diesel. The rollout of a network of CNG/bio-CNG refuelling facilities has commenced in Ireland with currently eight CNG/bio-CNG stations operational and a further pipeline of stations in planning and development.