Modern societies depend on reliable and secure supplies of electricity. Electricity generation accounts for a third of all primary energy use in Ireland.

Energy flow for electricity generation

Hydro,Total Fuel Inputs,1.2
Other Renewables & Wastes,Total Fuel Inputs,7.1
Wind,Total Fuel Inputs,19.8
Natural Gas,Total Fuel Inputs,53.4
Coal,Total Fuel Inputs,11.6
Peat,Total Fuel Inputs,1.1
Oil,Total Fuel Inputs,5.3
Total Fuel Inputs,Electricity Transformation losses,40.4
Total Fuel Inputs,Gross Electricity Consumption,59.6
Gross Electricity Consumption,Electricity from Natural Gas,31.7
Gross Electricity Consumption,Electricity from Wind,21.5
Gross Electricity Consumption,Electricity from Coal,4.5
Gross Electricity Consumption,Electricity from Peat,0.5
Gross Electricity Consumption,Electricity from Hydro,1.3
Gross Electricity Consumption,Electricity from Other Renewables & Wastes,2.8
Gross Electricity Consumption,Electricity from Oil,2.1
Source: SEAI

Electricity generated

On the left hand side are the fuel inputs to electricity generation. On the right hand side are the amounts of electricity generated by each of the fuel inputs, and the total energy lost during electricity generation. Total energy inputs to electricity generation account for approximately one third of Ireland's total primary energy supply.

 

Generation efficiency

There is a significant difference in the shares of electricity generated by fuel compared to the fuel inputs. This is due to the different efficiencies of generating electricity in different processes. Generating electricity in traditional thermal power plants using coal, peat or biomass has low efficiency. Electricity generated from wind and hydro is 100% efficient.

A significant portion of the energy used to generate electricity is lost before the electricity reaches the final end-user, through a combination of transformation losses, own use of electricity by power plants, pumped hydro storage losses and transmission losses.

Primary inputs to electricity generation

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Primary energy input to electricity generation; ktoe,Gas,Coal,Peat,Renewables,Oil,Wastes Non-Renewable,Net positive Electricity Imports
2005,2043.870796,1422.483593,496.1703559,179.7047604,793.5598546,0,175.7969
2006,2411.17038,1216.991736,462.3260891,233.3979827,686.4884217,0,152.8974947
2007,2736.918252,1171.527658,457.1368513,269.5779522,398.2650525,0,114.4101011
2008,2810.624906,991.346852,578.1464211,340.9743011,355.3842476,0,38.71861289
2009,2758.792335,774.914732,567.1166815,392.6914228,214.4645393,0,65.68277855
2010,3024.828462,867.5016886,491.00261,368.0196769,137.4914351,0,40.44803712
2011,2498.50672,913.0709869,480.0591824,516.0952276,54.76759499,0,42.14817722
2012,2269.759926,1160.110473,557.3129815,526.2242591,55.88477975,18.35563191,35.55883289
2013,2098.171246,970.369293,506.9387623,561.1613026,43.4514207,22.85712896,192.8285636
2014,1972.985938,940.3783986,549.7494641,630.8034363,60.27116809,24.51809655,184.818902
2015,1899.443686,1125.572786,554.0350396,750.078861,86.22792032,24.81036339,57.90982
2016,2341.603245,1102.585823,521.9067377,747.6438732,68.40992452,24.94361537,0
2017,2423.458764,867.4132118,488.1809618,884.6065321,33.95253312,56.39093193,0
2018,2460.564839,489.1341954,472.9510068,1020.182617,34.72978413,90.71416337,0
2019,2521.145597,147.8663617,434.3562444,1154.615811,78.46154093,88.6294441,55.4304744
2020,2567.233833,194.6970503,213.8325065,1315.768172,107.1518969,93.12891048,0
2021,2342.570103,672.7618175,71.44450532,1150.165409,359.9100594,89.0231124,136.5330075
2022,2594.051288,564.1644693,54.01628901,1279.727432,255.4616723,90.0005792,21.663228
Source: SEAI

The graph shows the trends in primary energy supply for electricity generation broken-out by fuel type and energy source.

Note that non-combustible renewable sources accounted for a higher share of generated electricity than of primary energy supply for electricity generation.  This is because the thermal generation of electricity from natural gas and coal has significant energy losses, while electricity generation from non-combustible renewable sources (wind, hydro and solar) is considered to be 100% efficient.

 

 

Efficiency of electricity supply

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,Efficiency of electricity supply (%)
2005,40.8
2006,42
2007,43.5
2008,44.8
2009,45.4
2010,44.5
2011,47.4
2012,45.7
2013,48.4
2014,49.1
2015,49.1
2016,47.7
2017,49.2
2018,52
2019,54.1
2020,54.7
2021,52.9
2022,53.8
Source: SEAI

Efficiency of electricity supply is defined as the ratio of final energy use of electricity and primary energy supply for the generation of electricity[1].

The overall efficiency is determined by the weighted average of electricity generation from non-combustible renewable sources, such as wind, hydro, and solar (taken to be 100% efficient), and electricity from combustible sources, such as gas, coal, and biomass (which have transformation losses). The efficiency of electricity supply therefore increases as the share of non-combustible renewable sources, and as more efficient fuels and technologies are employed in thermal generation plants.

The efficiency of Ireland's electricity supply has generally improved over the last decades, due to the introduction of higher efficiency natural gas plants, the closure of older peat-fired stations, and increased direct generation from renewable sources.

[1] Electricity supply efficiency includes energy consumed by electricity generating plants themselves as well as transmission and distribution losses. Electricity generation efficiency ignores these losses, hence generation efficiency is higher than supply efficiency.

 

Electricity generated by fuel

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Electricity generated by fuel type; ktoe,Gas,Renewables,Coal,Peat,Oil,Wastes Non-Renewable,Net Positive Electricity Imports
2005,995.364,161.115152,549.454,210.7,287.24,0,175.7969
2006,1185.51,212.8282315,506.024,183.868,243.724,0,152.8974947
2007,1380.958787,240.9771513,467.5785783,185.9480067,163.2892699,0,114.4101011
2008,1437.586114,309.1997659,442.2002161,236.8745425,146.8928195,0,38.71861289
2009,1401.638184,354.1134843,344.3709839,226.1012315,78.93456105,0,65.68277855
2010,1557.524904,320.6751909,305.7055629,187.3898785,51.87435555,0,40.44803712
2011,1327.169071,466.429009,339.2504073,183.1609312,20.09690908,0,42.14817722
2012,1215.978919,452.0391294,432.0948691,209.6495925,20.27974005,4.278333168,35.55883289
2013,1129.158551,483.972804,368.299872,196.2076452,16.23942398,5.630418303,192.8285636
2014,1086.614043,549.6809167,340.2533336,214.6633809,22.24736987,5.985035553,184.818902
2015,1063.604259,676.065639,419.1795188,216.5669628,35.00940629,6.36928174,57.90982
2016,1318.242594,646.0565529,403.8440934,199.338118,25.16511173,6.260816403,0
2017,1348.467538,763.7389915,313.430299,186.1366384,12.20286584,13.6999308,0
2018,1377.200821,877.236404,185.04973,179.8016182,11.98447811,25.93658746,0
2019,1367.93187,1014.331378,43.48391121,165.7311386,24.29659243,25.34169503,55.4304744
2020,1396.328791,1157.509686,57.88928934,79.00123087,33.48982121,25.7047416,0
2021,1303.375547,997.8202506,233.7075201,27.93774004,124.9720301,27.69607816,136.5330075
2022,1421.547872,1124.129123,203.5006968,21.26093829,92.46254948,27.45202832,21.663228
Source: SEAI

The above chart details the generated electricity available for final consumption by end users, broken out by fuel type and energy source.

Combined Heat and Power

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,CHP electricity as %
2005,2.28
2006,5.5
2007,6.14
2008,6.19
2009,6.38
2010,6.79
2011,7.1
2012,7.72
2013,7.39
2014,7.41
2015,7.49
2016,7.45
2017,7.31
2018,6.97
2019,6.65
2020,6.56
2021,6.22
2022,6.11
Source: SEAI

Higher efficiency

In conventional thermal electricity generation, we typically lose 60% of the energy input as waste heat. Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems use this valuable heat energy to generate both useful heat and electricity from a single combustion process. CHP plant efficiency is usually 20% to 25% higher than heat-only boilers and conventional power stations combined. Also, these plants are physically closer to the users of their generated heat and electricity, for example at hotels or factories.

Combined heat and power also avoids some of the transmission losses incurred by centralised generation.

See the download below for more information on CHP in Ireland.

CO₂ emissions intensity of electricity

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Carbon dioxide intensity of electricity generated; gCO2/kWh ,Gas,Coal,Peat,Oil,Wastes (Non-Renewable)
2005,200.9516374,230.0326126,100.3282321,104.2218142,0
2006,229.7292422,191.2651244,88.34666106,86.72910812,0
2007,251.5261784,177.0389181,83.5787749,48.74814558,0
2008,253.3711602,146.2941113,105.6222231,42.52674714,0
2009,265.084724,121.5950735,110.6076085,27.06727181,0
2010,286.1483674,133.415228,93.15015309,16.95958308,0
2011,242.597544,145.493789,93.84758418,6.860889902,0
2012,222.3731385,187.2730307,111.3614907,7.028030268,3.680972162
2013,202.9857196,155.545315,101.978758,5.424658626,5.429998155
2014,189.4501332,147.962835,109.016489,7.544773688,6.210050951
2015,177.3997581,171.1280629,104.3993167,10.39960504,6.23743098
2016,209.5238108,164.1556768,97.27773156,8.094990701,6.075273226
2017,212.2120861,127.3798455,89.42110986,3.927328777,13.57566605
2018,209.9412518,69.96476776,81.39616294,3.916824024,22.04973571
2019,211.1090753,20.27712619,73.50596732,8.78528056,22.59439351
2020,213.6983102,26.74096695,36.6366481,11.92235685,21.01425054
2021,188.4489023,88.5311446,12.09605859,38.56479355,19.81199225
2022,203.528638,72.39258492,9.847745004,26.62676244,19.52225257
Source: SEAI

Trend in electricity CO2 intensity

This chart shows the CO2 emission intensity of Ireland's electricity supply, which is measured in gCO2/kWh. The stacked bars show the share of CO2 emissions by fuel for each kWh of electricity supplied in Ireland. It is important to note that the stacked bars in the graph represent the contributions of different fuels to the overall CO2 intensity of Ireland's electricity supply, not the CO2 intensity of the individual fuels themselves.

The CO2 intensity of electricity generation fell to a historic low in 2020, before increasing slightly in 2021 due to an increase in emissions from coal and, to a lesser extent, oil. The CO2 intensity fell again in 2022, due to a decrease in the share of oil and coal in the generation mix. The dramatic overall improvements in annual CO2 emission intensity are due to reductions in using coal for electricity generation, and increased generation from zero-carbon renewable sources.

 

Energy in Ireland

See the download below for more information on electricity in Ireland's National Energy Balance