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Since 2020, Ireland has made impressive strides by connecting over one gigawatt (GW) of energy storage capacity to its electricity grid – a significant milestone on its path to generating 80% electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy by 2030 and eventually achieving the net zero target by 2050.
To put this into perspective, 1GW is enough to power the equivalent of approximately 450,000 homes for one hour, typically during peak demand periods or when frequency support is needed at times of low levels of renewable generation.
At the recently held Energy Storage Global Conference 2025, experts underscored the rapid growth of the energy storage sector and agreed that it has become indispensable for the energy grid not only in Europe but across the globe.
“Europe is facing three major challenges: achieving independence from Russian gas; addressing the worsening effects of climate change; and maintaining competitiveness — keeping energy prices affordable for industry and citizens,” said Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing.
Emphasising his point with an analogy, Jørgensen added: “Not having energy storage in the system is like receiving a toy on Christmas morning that has no batteries.”
Currently, the island of Ireland has about 1.2 GW operational energy storage capacity, including 965 MW provided by battery energy storage systems (BESS) and 292 MW from Turlough Hill pumped storage power station.
By 2035, the energy storage capacity in Ireland and Northern Ireland could increase almost eightfold, according to a report by Energy Storage Ireland. Around 155 projects totalling nearly 10GW either have planning permission, currently in the planning system, or at pre-planning stages.
This remarkable growth trajectory would provide enough power to supply every home in Ireland twice over on a still, cloudy day. The urgency for expanding energy storage systems cannot be overstated. Last year, 14% of all wind energy generated in Ireland was wasted due to lack of storage capacity.
This represents not just lost renewable energy but also missed opportunities to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower electricity costs for consumers.
Expanding energy storage is vital to maximising the integration of renewable electricity onto the grid as Ireland works towards 22 GW of installed renewable electricity generation capacity by 2030, comprising of 9GW of onshore wind, 8 GW of solar and at least 5 GW of offshore wind.
Batteries complement renewable energy generation by storing excess energy when renewable output is high and costs are low, then supplying power back into the grid when renewable output falls.
This arbitrage capability allows battery energy storage systems to charge during periods of abundant wind or solar generation and discharge during peak demand, naturally partnering with variable renewable sources.
As per Baringa Energy consultants, energy storage could deliver net savings of up to €85 million per year for Irish consumers by 2030.
Long duration energy storage has been identified in Climate Action Plan as pivotal to Ireland's energy transition, with EirGrid quantifying the requirement for additional capacity at 2,400MW by 2030.
These systems provide multiple crucial functions: storing excess renewable energy, enabling price arbitrage, meeting demand instantly, and delivering system services including voltage stabilisation and fast-response backup.
With battery costs having declined by 90% over the past decade, energy storage systems are now increasingly viable as cost-effective solutions for maintaining a constant supply of otherwise intermittent renewable energy.
From November 2025, battery storage operators also gained permission to trade electricity on the all-Ireland wholesale market, opening a new source of supply that industry figures predict could ease costs.
ESB has emerged as Ireland's largest owner of grid-scale batteries. The state-owned utility now operates 300MW of battery capacity across five grid-scale projects, with the largest being a 150MW battery energy storage system at Aghada capable of discharging for up to two hours.
Statkraft
Statkraft, Europe's largest renewable energy generator, has made substantial investments in Ireland's energy storage systems. The Norwegian state-owned firm partnered with Fluence on a 4-hour battery energy storage system at its Cushaling wind farm in County Offaly, marking Ireland's first long-duration storage project of this kind. This hybrid approach of co-locating storage with wind farms demonstrates how energy storage systems can maximise renewable asset value.
RWE Renewables
RWE Renewables entered the Irish market with strategic battery energy storage system deployments. The German energy company's 60MW facility at Lisdrum in County Monaghan provides rapid electricity delivery to balance grid fluctuations and prevent power outages.
Greencoat Renewables
Greencoat Renewables made its first investment in energy storage technologies with a 10.8MW battery energy storage system co-located at the Killala Community Wind Farm in County Mayo, signalling growing confidence in storage as a complementary technology to wind generation.
The investment, the largest in the history of Ireland’s electricity network, will see €1.5 billion allocated to ESB Networks and €2 billion to EirGrid, enabling both companies to significantly increase capital investment to expand onshore and offshore electricity transmission and distribution network infrastructure.
The recent market reform allowing battery energy storage systems to participate directly in wholesale trading also marks a significant development.
Citing that most existing battery storage systems have relatively limited energy durations, supplying power between 30 minutes to two hours on average, experts have called for significant investment in long duration energy storage systems.
This is increasingly important as data centres grow and seek to run on renewable energy, requiring storage to bridge periods of low wind or solar generation.
To put this into perspective, 1GW is enough to power the equivalent of approximately 450,000 homes for one hour, typically during peak demand periods or when frequency support is needed at times of low levels of renewable generation.
At the recently held Energy Storage Global Conference 2025, experts underscored the rapid growth of the energy storage sector and agreed that it has become indispensable for the energy grid not only in Europe but across the globe.
“Europe is facing three major challenges: achieving independence from Russian gas; addressing the worsening effects of climate change; and maintaining competitiveness — keeping energy prices affordable for industry and citizens,” said Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing.
Emphasising his point with an analogy, Jørgensen added: “Not having energy storage in the system is like receiving a toy on Christmas morning that has no batteries.”
Scale of Ireland’s energy storage opportunity
Currently, the island of Ireland has about 1.2 GW operational energy storage capacity, including 965 MW provided by battery energy storage systems (BESS) and 292 MW from Turlough Hill pumped storage power station.
By 2035, the energy storage capacity in Ireland and Northern Ireland could increase almost eightfold, according to a report by Energy Storage Ireland. Around 155 projects totalling nearly 10GW either have planning permission, currently in the planning system, or at pre-planning stages.
This remarkable growth trajectory would provide enough power to supply every home in Ireland twice over on a still, cloudy day. The urgency for expanding energy storage systems cannot be overstated. Last year, 14% of all wind energy generated in Ireland was wasted due to lack of storage capacity.
This represents not just lost renewable energy but also missed opportunities to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower electricity costs for consumers.
Expanding energy storage is vital to maximising the integration of renewable electricity onto the grid as Ireland works towards 22 GW of installed renewable electricity generation capacity by 2030, comprising of 9GW of onshore wind, 8 GW of solar and at least 5 GW of offshore wind.
Benefits of battery energy storage systems
Energy storage solutions such as BESS provide essential backup services to the grid, ensuring steady energy supply, reducing exposure to volatile gas commodity prices, and increasing the penetration of renewable energy in the overall energy mix, which is vital to decarbonising Ireland’s energy system.Batteries complement renewable energy generation by storing excess energy when renewable output is high and costs are low, then supplying power back into the grid when renewable output falls.
This arbitrage capability allows battery energy storage systems to charge during periods of abundant wind or solar generation and discharge during peak demand, naturally partnering with variable renewable sources.
As per Baringa Energy consultants, energy storage could deliver net savings of up to €85 million per year for Irish consumers by 2030.
Long duration energy storage has been identified in Climate Action Plan as pivotal to Ireland's energy transition, with EirGrid quantifying the requirement for additional capacity at 2,400MW by 2030.
These systems provide multiple crucial functions: storing excess renewable energy, enabling price arbitrage, meeting demand instantly, and delivering system services including voltage stabilisation and fast-response backup.
With battery costs having declined by 90% over the past decade, energy storage systems are now increasingly viable as cost-effective solutions for maintaining a constant supply of otherwise intermittent renewable energy.
From November 2025, battery storage operators also gained permission to trade electricity on the all-Ireland wholesale market, opening a new source of supply that industry figures predict could ease costs.
Key players driving the energy storage in Ireland
ESBESB has emerged as Ireland's largest owner of grid-scale batteries. The state-owned utility now operates 300MW of battery capacity across five grid-scale projects, with the largest being a 150MW battery energy storage system at Aghada capable of discharging for up to two hours.
Statkraft
Statkraft, Europe's largest renewable energy generator, has made substantial investments in Ireland's energy storage systems. The Norwegian state-owned firm partnered with Fluence on a 4-hour battery energy storage system at its Cushaling wind farm in County Offaly, marking Ireland's first long-duration storage project of this kind. This hybrid approach of co-locating storage with wind farms demonstrates how energy storage systems can maximise renewable asset value.
RWE Renewables
RWE Renewables entered the Irish market with strategic battery energy storage system deployments. The German energy company's 60MW facility at Lisdrum in County Monaghan provides rapid electricity delivery to balance grid fluctuations and prevent power outages.
Greencoat Renewables
Greencoat Renewables made its first investment in energy storage technologies with a 10.8MW battery energy storage system co-located at the Killala Community Wind Farm in County Mayo, signalling growing confidence in storage as a complementary technology to wind generation.
Challenges and way forward
Despite considerable progress in terms of energy storage systems, Ireland’s electricity grid remains under pressure, having been designed for a different era of energy generation. To address this and bolster its energy security, Ireland approved an investment of €3.5 billion in July 2025 to upgrade electricity grid infrastructure.The investment, the largest in the history of Ireland’s electricity network, will see €1.5 billion allocated to ESB Networks and €2 billion to EirGrid, enabling both companies to significantly increase capital investment to expand onshore and offshore electricity transmission and distribution network infrastructure.
The recent market reform allowing battery energy storage systems to participate directly in wholesale trading also marks a significant development.
Citing that most existing battery storage systems have relatively limited energy durations, supplying power between 30 minutes to two hours on average, experts have called for significant investment in long duration energy storage systems.
This is increasingly important as data centres grow and seek to run on renewable energy, requiring storage to bridge periods of low wind or solar generation.
