In the latest Gas Demand Report from Gas Networks Ireland, gas accounted for 55 percent of Ireland’s electricity generation in May, marking a significant increase on its relative contributions in previous months this year.

The increase was attributed to gas stepping in to support electricity generation as wind energy's contribution fell to just 22 percent in May, coinciding with the onset of the typically low-wind summer months.

Gas Networks Ireland’s Director of Strategy and Regulation, Edwina Nyhan said: "In May, gas was the largest contributor to Ireland’s electricity, powering up to 81 per cent of the country’s electricity at times and never dropping below 20 per cent. Wind power peaked at 73 percent of electricity generation, but due to the changeable nature of weather dependent renewable energy sources, there were periods during the month when wind’s contribution fell away almost completely. Such fluctuations highlight the importance of the gas network in providing resilience to the energy system, which will be critical as more renewables come onto the electricity grid."

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While overall gas demand increased by three percentage points month-on-month in May, demand for gas fell in the education (-51 per cent), hospital (-23 per cent), leisure/sport arenas (-35 per cent), office (-34 per cent), retail (-22 per cent) and air travel (-62 per cent) sectors over the same period.

For the sixteenth consecutive month, demand for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) continued to rise year-on-year, with consumption increasing by 28 percent in May 2024 compared to the previous year.

Flogas and Gas Networks Ireland have also officially opened the Republic of Ireland’s first dedicated BioCNG refueling self-service station in North County Dublin. CNG, which is natural gas compressed to fit into a vehicle’s tank, is available for heavy goods and commercial vehicles. BioCNG, its certified renewable gas equivalent, qualifies as a renewable fuel under the Irish Biofuel Obligation Scheme and can make a heavy goods vehicle carbon neutral.

May also saw Gas Networks Ireland and Bia Energy agree a significant partnership to enable the direct injection of renewable biomethane gas produced from food waste at the Bia Energy facility in Huntstown, Co Dublin into the national gas network. This agreement follows the recently announced National Biomethane Strategy by the Government and marks an important milestone in the development of Ireland’s renewable energy sector.

Ms. Nyhan commented: "Biomethane presents a remarkable opportunity for Ireland, offering a triple advantage for our economy. Firstly, it will enable meaningful reductions in carbon emissions to be made, significantly contributing to our climate goals. Secondly, by producing biomethane domestically, we can boost our energy security and reduce dependency on imported gas. Lastly, it provides farmers with a valuable option to diversify their activities and create additional revenue streams, thus fostering rural economic resilience.

"We welcomed the release of the National Biomethane Strategy last month, which is a crucial step forward for Ireland’s nascent biomethane industry to develop, and we are proud of the significant development our partnership with Bia Energy represents."