THE new Minister for the Economy is only a few days into his role, and near the top of what is a pretty full in-tray the the new energy strategy which will set how our homes and businesses will be powered for the next 30 years and beyond.
Central to the strategy will be how Northern Ireland plays its part in tackling climate change, by ensuring that our energy is clean and green. The window is quickly closing on our opportunity to limit global warming, we need act now.
As a leading developer of renewable energy in Northern Ireland, SSE Renewables believes there is a huge opportunity here to support new energy projects which will help us decarbonise, meet a net-zero target and drive a green recovery through job creation and investment. We want to see the 2030 target for renewables set at 80 per cent. While this will be a challenging target, Northern Ireland is starting from a strong base. The seriousness of the climate emergency means we cannot wait, and we cannot let others pick up slack on our behalf. Leadership starts at home.
Setting a target is one thing but setting the right policy parameters to deliver it is another. It is key that the final document clearly sets out the approach to implementation – enabling grid investment, alignment across all government departments, agencies and the Regulator and unlocking planning barriers will be critical to ensuring Northern Ireland can deliver on its climate goals.
Onshore wind will be central to increasing renewable electricity capacity and delivering on decarbonisation objectives, much as it did during the last decade, where developments like the 73MW Slieve Kirk wind park at Ardmore, near Strabane, helped surpass the 40 per cent target.
The introduction of a support mechanism is essential to enabling the renewables sector to develop. Extending the Contract for Difference (CFD) model in place in England and Wales to Northern Ireland, appears the most straightforward option.
It is important to remember however that in Northern Ireland, wind farm planning time lines are longer, projects tend to be smaller and face higher constraints and curtailment, than those in GB. This will reduce the competitiveness of NI projects. To enable projects here to compete, a specific ring-fenced pot for Northern Ireland will be needed and it should factor in support for re-powering existing developments to ensure that we consolidate and build upon on our achievements to date.
While onshore will be the short-term winner, in the longer term we recognise that a proper strategy for offshore wind will be a game changer for powering Northern Ireland in the future. Offshore projects are complex and take time to deliver, even when the right policy is in place, which limits the role it can play for the region by 2030 but we are excited by what may lie ahead.
As we are one of the leading developers of offshore wind in the world, we know how this technology is an important part of the energy future. We see both fixed bottom and floating technology as offering opportunities for this region. The final strategy should ensure that a pathway is developed for all offshore projects, so we can look at which projects will bring the most benefit to the energy supply.
The energy strategy is about ambition. Consensus on the general direction is clear and agreed, and the fine detail of the strategy has the opportunity to take us on a green energy journey, where we can embrace and harness the natural resources we have in abundance, to power a bright future.
:: Maria Ryan is director of development at SSE Ireland
