Wind farms provided 32pc of electricity last month

Irish wind farms generated 1,076 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of power in April, the representative body says, the second highest figure on record for the month.

In April 2023 the figure was 1,112GWh.

Wind Energy Ireland’s latest monthly report also says the average wholesale price of electricity in April was €88.52, down 30pc from €125.57 in April 2023.

In terms of wind power, Kerry is still in the lead – producing more than any other county – with 128GWh, last month. It was followed by Cork (120GWh), Tipperary (76.6GWh), Galway (76.4GWh) and Donegal (55GWh).

“These results emphasise the contribution that wind energy is making to insulate Irish families and businesses from expensive fossil fuels,” said Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland.

“We know we can make an even bigger difference if we can connect more wind farms, and last week saw significant progress with the announcement of Ireland’s first Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP), marking a historic moment for the development of offshore wind energy in Ireland.”

According to the plan, the next phase of offshore wind farms will be off the coasts of Waterford and south Wexford. All future wind energy projects will have to be located within DMAPs selected by the Government.

Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has said without the DMAP arrangement, offshore wind energy development would become “like the Klondike gold rush”.

Mr Cunniffe said the most recent report on energy balance from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland showed that emissions from the sector fell to their lowest level in three decades in 2023.

“But to significantly cut our carbon emissions, we need to accelerate the pace at which we build more on and offshore wind farms by modernising our planning system to ensure that planning applications are thoroughly, but quickly, examined,” Mr Cunniffe said.

Wind Energy Ireland’s figures suggest that 9.6pc of potential wind energy was lost last month as the grid was not strong enough to handle it. When this happens, wind farms are told to reduce the amount of power they produce, or stop producing it altogether.

We need an electricity grid strong enough to decarbonise our energy system,” Mr Cunniffe said. “We are calling for cross-party political support at every level for EirGrid and ESB Networks to develop a much stronger grid for Ireland and to deliver critical projects like the North-South Interconnector.”