Wind energy in Ireland

In more positive news for the renewables sector, wind energy was Ireland’s top source of electricity in the first quarter of 2020, figures released earlier this week showed.

In total, wind power generated 3,390 gigawatt hours (GWh) in the first three months of the year, according to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

Wind’s nearest rival in electricity generation, natural gas, was responsible for 3,234 GWh in the same period.

The news was welcomed by the Irish Wind Energy Association’s (IWEA) CEO, David Connolly, who was bullish about the sector’s prospects.

“Today’s figures show that it is only a matter of time before wind energy is Ireland’s number one source of electricity,” he said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

“Last year was a record-breaking year for the industry as we provided a third of the country’s electricity demand,” Connolly added. “The first three months of 2020 show that we are well on track to beat that record.”

The IWEA said the 3,390 GWh provided by wind turbines in the first quarter was equivalent to the annual power demand of 737,000 homes in Ireland.