Limerick City and County Councils Climate Action Plan

Gas Networks Ireland supports Limerick City and County Council’s Climate Action Plan and appreciates the opportunity to reply to the public consultation. Set out below are a number of points for consideration in relation to the role renewable gases such as biomethane and green hydrogen will play in the energy transition and decarbonising Ireland’s national and local economies. 

Biomethane 

Biomethane is a renewable gas derived from organic sources such as landfill, food waste and agricultural waste and produced through a process known as anaerobic digestion. Biomethane can seamlessly replace natural gas on the national gas network today and is fully compatible with existing appliances, technologies, and vehicles. It can reduce emissions within key sectors of the economy, including heating, industry, transport, and power generation, while also supporting the decarbonisation of the agri-food sector. 

The production of indigenous gas in Ireland supports the circular economy and sustainable agriculture. As well as reducing on-farm emissions and supporting more sustainable supply chains, an indigenous biomethane industry can also provide significant opportunities for local communities. For rural Ireland, this industry could provide a new revenue stream as farm waste can become a source of income. An important bi-product of biomethane production is digestate which can replace imported fertiliser, protecting our water courses by reducing nitrates and reducing Ireland’s exposure to international fluctuations in price and supply. 

An indigenous biomethane industry is also crucial for enhancing the security and diversity of Ireland’s energy supply, reducing our reliance on imported energy. The European Commission identified Ireland as having the highest potential for biomethane production per capita in the EU. Biomethane is already flowing on the national gas network, it was first introduced to the network through an injection point in County Kildare in August 2019. 

Green Hydrogen 

Green hydrogen is a carbon free gas that can be produced from renewable electricity and is well suited for storage, making it an attractive option to decarbonise energy systems and drive a cleaner energy future for Ireland. The potential for green hydrogen in Ireland is also significant, with the SEAI reporting in its 2022 National Heat Study that the technical potential to produce hydrogen in Ireland (primarily from offshore wind) to be 90 TWh. 

As Gas Networks Ireland works towards decarbonising our national gas infrastructure, hydrogen will play an integral role in Ireland’s energy future. Green hydrogen enables the optimisation and full exploitation of renewable electricity potential in Ireland by utilising excess generation that would otherwise be curtailed to produce green hydrogen.  

Hydrogen networks will play a key role in this future system, similar to the role played by the natural gas network today; supporting the deployment of increased renewable energy, providing resilience and flexibility to the electricity system, and serving the needs of high heat industries and businesses across the country. Ireland and the EU have committed themselves to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Hydrogen will be key to enabling the decarbonisation of sectors that are difficult to electrify such as high industrial heat, heavy transport, and power generation. 

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG / bio-CNG) for transport 

Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are responsible for a disproportionate amount of transport emissions and decarbonisation of HGVs is particularly challenging as electricity is currently not a viable alternative to diesel. CNG/bio-CNG has the potential to address these transport emissions with significantly reduced carbon emissions relative to diesel – making CNG/bio-CNG the ideal fuel for decarbonising Ireland’s HGVs fleet. CNG/bio-CNG is a proven, safe, and reliable technology and refuelling is much quicker than competitors. 

While immediate carbon emissions reductions can be realised by switching to CNG today, more significant savings are coming. Biomethane, which is entirely compatible with existing gas infrastructure, technology, and vehicles, is now flowing onto the national gas network. As Ireland gradually replaces natural gas with renewable, carbon neutral gas, vehicles refuelling from the gas network will increasingly reduce their carbon footprint without changing a thing. 

In addition to reduced carbon emissions, CNG/bio-CNG also provides improved air quality with no additives and drastically less emission of nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide and particulate matter relative to diesel. The rollout of a network of CNG/bio-CNG refuelling facilities has commenced in Ireland with currently eight CNG/bio-CNG stations operational in Ireland and a further pipeline of stations in planning and development.