You may not know it, but gas presently supplies around 41% of Ireland’s electricity, a figure which can climb as high as 83% during low wind conditions (meaning that less wind energy is being produced). In total, gas provides 30% of Ireland’s primary energy needs. Gas is also a reliable backup and stabiliser for the renewable electricity grid, giving us security.

Gas Networks Ireland operates both the transmission network and the distribution network of pipelines. The first of these is a high-pressure system which moves gas across long distances, and brings in gas from Moffat in Scotland, as well as from domestic sources such as the Corrib gas pipeline. This gas arrives into the network at large, at which point Above Ground Installations (AGIs) make the gas ready to be distributed to homes, schools, businesses and industrial users. 

Distribution involves a low-pressure system of pipelines, which are connected to the transmission network via what are known as pressure reduction stations. This ensures safe and usable pressure levels for residential and commercial use.

As Ireland further integrates clean, renewable gases like biomethane and green hydrogen into our energy system, this network of pipelines will only increase in importance.

Biomethane, already flowing through the network, is a renewable gas, generated through anaerobic digestion. This process breaks down organic materials like food and farm waste. This green gas can be injected into Ireland’s existing gas network, helping to cut emissions in hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as transport, manufacturing and power generation. It also supports the agri-food sector’s transition to a low-carbon future.  Expanding the network to accommodate biomethane includes projects like the €32 million Central Grid Injection facility (CGI) in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, which will enable biomethane to be injected directly into the grid.

Similarly, the entire network is being made ready to facilitate the introduction of green hydrogen, which is a source of energy produced using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen in a process known as electrolysis. As it is produced without the release of carbon dioxide (CO2), it is both carbon-free and a renewable gas.

At its Innovation Centre in Dublin, Gas Networks Ireland is working with experts and universities to explore how hydrogen could safely work with the existing gas network, including studying how hydrogen affects gas pipes, and how much hydrogen consumers can use with their current equipment.

These two renewable sources of gas are set to transform Ireland’s energy consumption, and there is an ambition that renewable gases will continue to increase, with Ireland’s gas network eventually divided into two distinct networks: a national hydrogen network and a regional biomethane network. 

To learn more about how Gas Networks Ireland is helping move Ireland towards a clean energy future, visit https://www.gasnetworks.ie/pathway-net-zero/.