Risk of Irish winter power outages has doubled, EU agency warns

Taken from a recent Irish Independent piece written by Sarah Collins

Risks to the Irish power system this winter have doubled, according to an EU electricity agency.

Ireland faces up to 14.56 hours without electricity this winter if no attempts are made to cut demand, said the European association for the cooperation of transmission system operators for electricity (ENTSO-E) in its winter outlook report.

The figure is up from 6.25 hours in ENTSO-E’s October report.

If Irish people cut peak time energy use by 5pc, the risk of power outages falls to 9.25 hours, although “notable risks” remain, it said.

It means Ireland faces the second-highest risk in Europe, after France, in terms of “system adequacy” – whether there is enough electricity supply to meet demand.

Adequacy risks were also identified in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Malta and Cyprus, with risks increasing in the months of January and February.