Energia Group is proud to be a driving force behind the move to renewable energy in Ireland. But as we move away from legacy generation options and towards wind and other renewables, we reduce CO2 emissions but add intermittency to the grid.
To put that another way: renewables cannot (yet) meet all of our energy needs, all of the time. In this context, a key element of any sustainable energy strategy is flexible generation: the ability to generate power effectively on demand, and if necessary only for brief periods of time. Flexible generation ensures the grid has available power all of the time and an ongoing capability to adjust outputs to suit demands.
Energia Group is at the heart of flexible generation as a key element of sustainable energy delivery in Ireland.
The Group owns and operates two Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) plants at its Huntstown site in north Dublin. Huntstown 1, a 343MW CCGT plant was commissioned in November 2002 and Huntstown 2, a 404MW CCGT plant adjacent to Huntstown 1, was commissioned in October 2007.
These facilities are ready to step in and meet energy demand in both Dublin and the wider country and are a vital element in the country’s sustainable energy strategy.
Meanwhile Energia Group continues to assess new opportunities for investment and growth in Flexible Generation sources. As well as the provision of peaking plants (such as Huntstown) which provide an immediate ‘switch-on’ supply capability to the grid, large scale energy storage facilities are also being seen as a solution.
The ultimate goal is the provision of just as much energy as the island needs and no more, and the highest percentage possible of renewables in that mix. Plants such as Huntstown are a vital element of that approach. Meanwhile developments in this field will allow users ever more flexibility and control over the energy they use, store and share. Flexible generation is a benefit for all.
