Gas Networks Ireland announces significant investment in gas infrastructure to enable Bord na Móna’s continued transition to renewable energy

• Gas Networks Ireland and Bord na Móna will make a significant investment to develop gas infrastructure to further decarbonise the energy infrastructure supporting the national energy grid at times of high demand.
• Connection will immediately result in approximately 40% reduction in CO2 emissions at the Bord na Móna Edenderry Renewable Energy Complex, Co. Offaly, through the conversion of existing diesel generation assets to natural gas.
• Connection also will enable effective transition to renewable gases in the future, to complement both companies’ renewable strategies.

Tuesday April 2^nd, 2024: Gas Networks Ireland today announced a landmark development of gas infrastructure to connect Bord na Móna’s Edenderry Renewable Energy Complex to the national gas network. The grid connection will enable the integration of both natural gas and renewable gas including biomethane and green hydrogen, into the fuel mix at the Co. Offaly renewable energy complex. On completion, the transmission connection project will immediately facilitate a reduction of approximately 40% in CO2 emissions at the County Offaly energy complex which supports the national energy grid in times of high demand – providing 116MW of electricity to help balance the intermittency of supply from other energy sources in the country.

This investment will see the construction of a steel transmission pipeline, approximately 22Km in length, that will connect Bord na Móna’s renewable energy complex in Edenderry, to Ireland’s €2.8bn gas network. Initially the project will facilitate the transmission of natural gas, with a shift to renewable gases over time.  As the licensed Gas Transmission Operator, Gas Networks Ireland possesses significant in-house skills, competency, and technical expertise, built over five decades of delivering gas securely for Ireland. Ireland’s gas network, one of the safest and most modern networks in Europe, offers efficient, cost-effective, and secure transportation of natural gas and renewable gases, such as biomethane and green hydrogen.

The Transmission Connection project is currently in its planning and development phase, with construction expected to start in 2027 and the pipeline anticipated to be fully operational in 2029. Gas Networks Ireland intends to engage local communities and host public information evenings over the coming weeks to share more details about the project and its benefits.

Emphasising the significance of the partnership, Gas Networks Ireland’s newly appointed Director of Assets & Infrastructure, Brian Sheehan said:

“The gas network plays a critical role in Ireland’s energy landscape, and this connection for Bord na Móna marks a significant step towards a greener future.

“The gas network can be adapted to transport zero-carbon gases, such as green hydrogen. It has already transformed once, from carrying town gas to natural gas over 40 years ago, and more recently adapted to biomethane when it was first introduced onto the Irish network in 2019.  

“Gas Networks Ireland is fully committed to this strategic infrastructure development project and has assembled a dedicated team to ensure its success.”

John Reilly, Head of Renewable Energy at Bord na Móna commented:

“We are delighted to announce this partnership with Gas Networks Ireland which will have a transformative effect on our Edenderry Renewable Energy Complex – enabling us to decarbonise our existing infrastructure by approximately 40% once the transmission connection is complete and natural gas is fully incorporated into our fuel mix. The project will facilitate the transmission of natural gas in the immediate term with an opportunity to shift to renewable gases like green hydrogen and biomethane in the future.

“Our existing diesel generation assets located at the Edenderry Renewable Energy Complex play a key role in supplying 116MW of electricity to the national energy grid during periods of high demand when solar and wind energy availability is limited, and this development will ensure these generation assets are operating even more sustainably, as one of the largest on-demand renewable electricity generators in Ireland.”