eolas magazine: Informing Ireland's decision makers
25th February 2025
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) hosted a round table discussion at its Parkgate Street headquarters in Dublin, assembling stakeholders from across the energy and transport sectors, including […]
25th February 2025
Installed in a sleek, minimalist boardroom at Bord Gáis Energy’s Warrington Place headquarters, facing onto Dublin’s Grand Canal, Managing Director, Dave Kirwan speaks with eolas Magazine […]
24th February 2025
February 2025 marked a quarter of a century since the liberalisation of Ireland’s electricity market. In this context, Ciarán Galway sits down with ESB’s Head of […]
24th February 2025
In late February 2025, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published a much-anticipated proposed decision paper on Large Energy Users Connection Policy. While cautiously welcomed […]
24th February 2025
Barry Quinlan, Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) with responsibility for built environment, retrofit, and heat policy, tells eolas Magazine […]
24th February 2025
Paul Kenny, Director General of the European Heat Pump Association, talks to eolas Magazine about the role of heat pumps in Europe’s energy future, emphasising Ireland’s […]
24th February 2025
While significant progress has been made towards the State’s residential retrofit targets, these are challenged by financial, structural, and policy-related obstacles. Accelerating delivery will depend on […]
24th February 2025
Behavioural economist Evelina Gunnarsson discusses the application of behavioural insights to encourage energy efficient renovations. “By combining a system approach with behavioural insight, we can tackle […]
24th February 2025
Five years since the introduction of retrofit targets of 500,000 homes to ‘B2’ BER standard or above, the Government has retrofitted approximately 55,893 homes to said […]
24th February 2025
The Planning and Development Act has added a new dimension to the challenge of meeting Ireland’s infrastructure requirements. In late 2024, Irish planning legislation saw its […]
6th January 2025
Bord na Móna hosted a round table discussion at the Mountlucas Wind Farm, County Offaly, inviting key stakeholders from the public and private sector representing large […]
6th January 2025
Public visibility of training provision and job opportunities are critical to ensure Ireland can match up its growing need for skills to meet the ambitious demands […]
6th January 2025
The development of a new heat network authority will provide national oversight for the development of district heating networks in Ireland, forthcoming legislation has proposed. In […]
7th November 2024
Hitachi Energy hosted a round table discussion with key stakeholders from across the energy sector to examine how the twin transitions of digitalisation and decarbonisation can […]
13th September 2024
As Ireland sits on the cusp of its energy future, eolas Magazine visits Hitachi Energy Ireland’s Dublin city centre office and sits down with Local Sales […]
12th September 2024
The newly-published draft South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) has identified four proposed areas off the south coast for offshore wind projects. The four maritime […]
11th September 2024
The Government has set ambitious targets for sectoral emissions reductions, and I have recognised that central to success is the role that the agriculture sector and […]
11th September 2024
Gas Networks Ireland has embarked on an ambitious journey to fully decarbonise Ireland’s gas network by 2045. This transformation will involve repurposing and resizing existing gas […]
11th September 2024
The publication of Ireland’s first major policy statement on biomethane marks an important milestone in an overarching ambition to develop a sustainable industry of scale by […]
11th September 2024
To meet our climate targets, the global economy must reach net zero emissions by 2050. While it is anticipated that much of this will be facilitated […]
11th September 2024
It is essential to transform Ireland’s energy system to achieve its goal of a climate-neutral economy by 2050 whilst also ensuring that the energy system is […]
11th September 2024
As an enabler of the publication of Energy Security in Ireland to 2030, in November 2023 the Government released a research paper examining the security of […]
11th September 2024
Following the publication of the National Biomethane Strategy, Barry Quinlan – whose remit as Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) […]
11th September 2024
To make sure that everyone can play their part in Ireland’s energy transition, Duncan Osborne, CEO of Calor, explains the critical need for current and future […]
11th September 2024
Amid energy security challenges, MaREI Director and Associate Vice-President of Sustainability at University College Cork (UCC), Brian Ó Gallachóir has recommended the establishment of an all-island […]
11th September 2024
Two years since the launch of REPowerEU, the European Commission states that €18 billion has been spent in helping the EU meet its biomethane targets. Under […]
11th September 2024
Ireland must seize the opportunity to create a sustainable biomethane industry in order to meet its climate targets, writes Kevin Fitzduff, Managing Director of Stream BioEnergy. […]
29th April 2024
Ireland’s ambition to become a superpower in offshore wind energy is adrift in a sea of regulatory constraints, writes Fine Gael Midlands–North-West MEP Colm Markey. Despite […]
29th April 2024
Ireland is committed to playing its full part in EU and global efforts to stop climate change and, in so doing, harnessing the opportunities and rewards […]
29th April 2024
A decarbonised gas network will help reduce emissions, support the achievement of Ireland’s climate ambitions and secure Ireland’s energy security with least disruption. The gas network […]
29th April 2024
A MaREI researcher has hypothesised that in a scenario whereby the State meets its net zero targets, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will account for approximately 24 […]
29th April 2024
In December 2023, Bord na Móna marked a key milestone in the company’s history and the final step of its brown to green journey by using […]
29th April 2024
Germany’s Ambassador to Ireland, Cord Meier-Klodt, speaks with Ciarán Galway about cooperation to unlock Ireland’s enormous offshore renewable energy potential and deliver on Germany’s similarly massive […]
29th April 2024
Faced with significant challenges in establishing a secure and sustainable energy system, Ireland requires a united effort across the private sector, regulators, and the State. Bord […]
29th April 2024
Hydrogen use will become “an important lever” in the transport sector after projected advances in technology, production, and storage capacity, and will be particularly prominent in […]
29th April 2024
Hydrogen Europe’s infrastructure and energy policy director Kamila Waciega discusses the path for Ireland’s green hydrogen market and the challenges regarding infrastructure development. Hydrogen is one […]
29th April 2024
Meadhbh Connolly, Future Opportunities Manager at ESB, explains why the decarbonisation of the electricity system requires more than just renewable energy generation and how ESB is […]
29th April 2024
Ireland’s climate targets for the transport sector, as defined by both the Climate Action Plan and EU requirements under the European Green Deal, hinge on the […]
29th April 2024
Energia Group’s Long Mountain wind farm is the first in Ireland and the UK to produce green hydrogen on-site and highlights the potential for hydrogen in […]
29th April 2024
Ciarán Galway speaks with the German-Irish Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s interim Chief Executive Officer, Alexandra Voss, about developing a sustainable and longstanding hydrogen partnership between […]
29th April 2024
The European Commission states Ireland’s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) is not adequate if the State is to play its role in helping the EU […]
29th April 2024
The recovery of black-bin waste that cannot be reused or recycled to produce energy in the form of electricity is not a new concept. What is […]
29th April 2024
The European Commission has published the results of the first EU-wide hydrogen bank pilot auction. On 30 April 2024 the results of the European Hydrogen Bank’s […]
19th February 2024
It has often been said: “Celebrate endings—for they precede new beginnings.” On 23 December 2023, the climate solutions and renewable energy company, Bord na Móna, completed […]
16th February 2024
Barry Quinlan, the Assistant Secretary leading the Energy function with responsibility for Built Environment, Retrofit and Heat Policy at the Department of the Environment, Climate and […]
16th February 2024
UCD energy economist Lisa Ryan outlines some of the research being undertaken to understand household attitudes to adopting heat pumps. Highlighting a context whereby many countries […]
16th February 2024
Vincent Brennan, estates manager, HSE Capital and Estates’ Deep Retrofit Programme, outlines the progress being made with the programme and how other public and private sector […]
16th February 2024
Leading energy experts have argued that aligning energy efficiency investments to the achievement of a ‘B2’ BER standard is a necessary but not sufficient condition for […]
16th February 2024
In the latest Climate Action Plan update (CAP24), the Government has retained its targets on retrofitting. Overall, the plan claims that it provides a “roadmap towards […]
15th December 2023
Hitachi Energy is advancing a sustainable energy future for all by integrating renewable sources into the next generation of energy systems. The significance of transportation in […]
15th December 2023
Brian Ó Gallachóir, Associate Vice-President for Sustainability at University College Cork (UCC), assesses whether worrying electricity generation inadequacy necessitates an all-island focus on energy security. Ó […]
15th December 2023
Up to 900MW of renewable electricity is set to be secured in 2025 under a new plan for offshore wind development off Ireland’s south coast. The […]
15th December 2023
As the European Union seeks to reform the electricity market, Eurelectric’s Savannah Altvater discusses the critical components she believes must underpin market design fit for net […]
15th December 2023
A floating natural gas storage facility and increased oil reserves are to be considered in the Government’s plan to increase energy security. Energy Security in Ireland […]
15th December 2023
The EU is predicting that circa 14 per cent of energy consumption across Europe will be from hydrogen by 2050, while it is expected to between […]
15th December 2023
As Ireland navigates to net zero, low-carbon flexible thermal will be essential in keeping the lights on, writes Catherine Raw, Managing Director of SSE Thermal. We […]
15th December 2023
Sinn Féin’s spokesperson for environment and climate action, Darren O’Rourke TD, talks to Joshua Murray about the party’s vision for a “just and ambitious” energy transition. […]
15th December 2023
Global expert in energy market reform, Todd Bessemer, questions whether the dramatic increase of non-synchronous renewables onto energy systems across the globe requires a greater focus […]
2nd November 2023
Emissions from rail have risen by an annual average of 0.6 per cent in the past two decades globally, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports. In […]
2nd November 2023
The National Hydrogen Strategy, published in July 2023, outlines how hydrogen can be used for the rail sector in areas where electrification – the primary mean […]
30th August 2023
Paul Münnich, Project Manager for Agora Industry, outlines the scale of the challenge in decarbonising the industrial sector in Germany. Münnich contextualises that the German energy […]
30th August 2023
The decarbonisation of Ireland’s energy system and economy is a key priority for the Government in tackling the climate crisis, writes Minister for the Environment, Climate […]
30th August 2023
Gas Networks Ireland operates and maintains Ireland’s €2.7 billion, 14,664km national gas network, which is considered one of the safest and most modern renewables-ready gas networks […]
30th August 2023
Caroline Kuzemko, Reader in International Political Economy at the University of Warwick and co-chair and co-founder of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) Research Network […]
30th August 2023
Long awaited by many in the energy sector, the National Hydrogen Strategy was launched by Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport, […]
30th August 2023
Bord Gáis Energy has welcomed the publication of the Government’s recently published National Hydrogen Strategy as a keystone to Ireland becoming a green-energy powerhouse. The National […]
30th August 2023
Barry Quinlan, Assistant Secretary, Energy – built environment, retrofit and heat policy at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, speaks to eolas Magazine about […]
30th August 2023
In the pursuit of a sustainable future, Ireland stands at a crossroads, facing the challenges of combating climate change while ensuring an equitable transition for everyone, […]
30th August 2023
Ireland’s lack of energy security is topical, and self-sufficiency is an area of particular weakness. While a government decision to end the issuing of new licences […]
30th August 2023
EU member states agreed in March 2023 on the European Council’s position on the proposed hydrogen and decarbonised gas market package, with a market shift targeted […]
30th August 2023
Anouk Honoré, Senior Research Fellow at The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies says that while the European gas market is in much better position than a […]
30th August 2023
EU member states and the European Council agreed their negotiating positions on proposals to set common internal markets rules for renewable and natural gases and hydrogen […]
9th May 2023
To set the context for the discussion, we start by asking Pádraig about ESB’s plans for the development of greenhydrogen production and storage in Ireland. […]
9th May 2023
The European energy market is struggling to ensure a sustainable price and supply of energy for consumers partially, though not exclusively, due to the Russian invasion […]
9th May 2023
Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications Ossian Smyth TD discusses actions by the Government to mitigate security of supply concerns, […]
9th May 2023
Following the conclusion of its public consultation, the second Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP II) is set to take Ireland a step closer towards an […]
4th May 2023
Ahead of the imminent publication of the hydrogen strategy for Ireland, Energy Minister Eamon Ryan TD comments on its significance and balancing stakeholder confidence with a […]
4th May 2023
Transitioning to clean hydrogen can be accelerated with the help of leading-edge technologies. Accenture’s Catherine O’Brien, hydrogen fellow at the World Economic Forum, and Aoife Aherne, […]
4th May 2023
In anticipation of the Government’s forthcoming unveiling of Ireland’s national hydrogen strategy, Odrán Waldron speaks with hydrogen experts Rory Monaghan and James Carton to ascertain what […]
4th May 2023
Ireland is on the path to net zero. The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act of 2021 sets out that the country must reach net […]
4th May 2023
The headline provision for hydrogen contained within Climate Action Plan 2023 is the revision of Ireland’s offshore wind targets, with 7GW now to be operational by […]
4th May 2023
Assistant Professor in Sustainable Energy at Dublin City University, James Carton, speaks to eolas Magazine about Power-to-X and the shape that Ireland’s potential hydrogen economy could […]
4th May 2023
In line with the latest Climate Action Plan (CAP), there is a need to decarbonise the national gas network with renewable gases. Gas Networks Ireland is […]
4th May 2023
As an island with extensive renewable electricity generation resources, Ireland should be favourably positioned to take advantage of the significant opportunities offered by green hydrogen production, […]
4th May 2023
As part of the EU’s push to reduce reliance on Russian oil and gas imports, the REPowerEU plan has set a European target of 10 million […]
4th May 2023
ESB is investing in Ireland with more than €1 billion spent every year towards our goal of delivering a zero-carbon energy future. Hydrogen will feature prominently […]
4th May 2023
Katy McNeil, Head of the Scottish Government’s Ireland Office, outlines the details of Scotland’s growing hydrogen value chain, the scope for collaboration with Ireland, and the […]
4th May 2023
dCarbonX is an asset focused geo-energy private company established in 2020 to develop underground assets for clean molecular energy storage and the sequestration of CO2. Based […]
4th May 2023
The situation is clear; the world is experiencing a climate emergency where reducing greenhouse gas emissions is critical to meet the 2015 Paris Agreement targets. The […]
4th May 2023
In March 2023, the European Commission signed a joint declaration with European stakeholders to boost the EU hydrogen economy, aimed at enhancing the use of hydrogen […]
4th May 2023
As one of Ireland’s leading climate solutions companies, Bord na Móna believes that greenhydrogen, a zero-carbon gas, will act as a key vector in our national transition […]
4th May 2023
The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) has proposed a dual gas system modelling approach considering hydrogen and methane networks simultaneously, following contrasted […]
4th May 2023
Green hydrogen is a promising energy carrier that has the potential to play a crucial role in achieving net-zero emissions, writes Paul McCormack, Director of Hydrogen […]
4th May 2023
A feasibility study for local authorities to develop zero-carbon heavy goods vehicles (HGV) roadmaps on a cross-border basis is among the projects receiving Shared Island funding, […]
2nd May 2023
Hydrogen produced from indigenous resources, such as waste, also offers an opportunity for energy independence and security, which have become critical due to the Russian invasion […]
22nd February 2023
The necessity to more than quadruple the skilled workforce by 2050 is the biggest constraint facing the Government’s retrofitting ambitions, says Minister for the Environment, Climate […]
22nd February 2023
Bord Gáis Energy is a recognised and trusted market leader in gas boiler service and repair, with an ambition to lead in the provision of energy […]
22nd February 2023
Amid the implementation of programmes to enhance residential energy efficiency and, ultimately, decarbonise Irish homes, Ciarán Galway discusses the challenge of sustaining momentum with Barry Quinlan, […]
22nd February 2023
Electric Ireland Superhomes is a joint venture between Tipperary Energy Agency and ESB (Electric Ireland) established in 2021. We are an SEAI registered one stop shop […]
22nd February 2023
Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are playing a vital role in addressing the shortage of skilled retrofitters in Ireland as the construction sector rises to the […]