In a recent article, The Irish Examiner discussed hydrogen’s role in building a more resilient, secure and domestically produced energy system for Ireland and Europe, with SH2AMROCK seeking to connect Ireland’s renewable energy resources with sectors that have limited alternatives for decarbonisation.
“What we’re trying to do is match up a demand that exists, that cannot be decarbonised by any other means, with a resource that we have in Ireland. There are aspects of the energy transition that are not suitable to electrify,” Prof Rory Monaghan says, pointing to heavy-duty transport and industrial heat as immediate candidates. “When I’m making the case for hydrogen, I rarely need to talk about the environment anymore,” Monaghan says. “I’m making the case from an energy security perspective.”
For Paul McCormack, the shift is already underway. The CEO of the HydrogenIreland Association believes Ireland should use its upcoming EU presidency from July to December to raise the country’s profile and influence across Europe and position itself as a key leader in Europe’s energy future rather than a peripheral nation.
The article about #sh2amrock and #hydrogen in Ireland links to another piece from the Irish Times published on the same day, addressing Ireland’s vulnerability to external energy supply, long-term requirement for strategic energy reserve infrastructure and the growing challenge of maintaining #securityofsupply.
“Ireland has historically and is continuing to take a reactive, rather than proactive, approach to energy supply security”, said Prof. Monaghan. The article argues that, while Ireland is finally moving to establish a strategic gas reserve to strengthen energy security, the country’s heavy dependence on imported gas will remain a significant vulnerability for many years before the reserve becomes operational.
Hydrogen, as a domestically producible and storable energy carrier, can strengthen Ireland’s energy security by reducing reliance on imported gas, complementing emergency reserve systems with long-duration storage, and supporting a more proactive, resilient energy strategy.
Article 1: “Hydrogen, the most resilient model of energy supply?” https://www.irishexaminer.com/special-reports/arid-41844882.html
Article 2: “Emergency gas reserve ‘many years’ away despite proposed laws” https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41845170.html