Nearly a quarter Ireland’s electricity demand is now being supplied through wind energy, according to a report from Vayu, the Irish gas and electricity supplier backed by global mining giant Glencore.
The company’s latest report on the wholesale energy market here indicates just over 23 per cent of the State’s total electricity demand in 2015 came from wind.
Wind generation reached a peak of 2,514 megawatts (MW) on January 7th when it accounted for over 48 per cent of demand at the time.
Ireland’s 2020 renewable energy targets commit the State to sourcing 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources, such as wind.
Vayu’s energy analyst Gillian Lawler said: “Wind energy is playing an ever more important role in meeting Ireland’s electricity demand, helping to drive down prices and reduce the country’s dependence on more expensive sources of energy.”
Vayu’s report indicates the average wholesale price of electricity in the Irish market was 9.4 per cent lower in 2015.