Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 21ST - 27TH SEPTEMBER 2018 | 23 Operations & Assets How innovation can build energy and water resilience Chief executive's view Mike Quinn, Ervia I reland's ambitious decarbonisation targets – to reduce emissions by 80-95 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050 – mean we must make the best and most innovative use of our existing national resources. At Ervia – the commercial semi-state multi-utility com- pany that delivers Ireland's national gas and water infra- structure and services – we want to ensure that use of renewable gas plays a central role. In fact, we believe that to avoid facing annual EU fines of up to €600 million, Ireland must maximise the use of state-owned assets in parallel with measures such as renewable energy genera- tion while mitigating against climate change. Preliminary numbers from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland show that more than 30 per cent of Ireland's electricity consumption in 2017 came from renewables – over twice the 2010 figure. Renewable elec- tricity has a significant role to play in decarbonisation, but it is only part of the story. To decarbonise at scale, Ireland will have to use all the resources at its disposal, including its modern gas network, to facilitate bioenergy, possibly carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen. In addition to decarbonising our society as it is today, Ireland faces challenges from growth. Its population is set to rise by 30 per cent by 2050 which means that up to 500,000 more homes and possibly one million more cars will require power. Indeed, moving Ireland's more than two million homes away from fossil fuels to renewables will be a mammoth task. Consider first the heating of Ireland's homes. Heating is responsible for a third of Ireland's CO2 emissions. A recent study by KPMG, commissioned by Ervia, shows that the use of renewable gas could achieve decarbonisation targets for home heating at a third of the cost of electric heat pumps. The study costed the decarbonisa- tion of heating for a million urban homes on or near the gas network. Three options were examined: using renewable gas in the exist- ing gas network, deploying low-carbon hydrogen with renewable gas, or install- ing heat pumps supplied by renewable electricity. KPMG found that the renewable gas option would be a third of the cost of heat pumps. Increasing the share of renewable gas would deliver other benefits, such as boosting security of supply and facilitating new market opportunities for the farming sector while helping to meet the growing requirement for "green gas" from multinationals and indigenous industry. Fleet transport is another important area that can benefit from using both natural gas and renewable gas. As transport represents over one third of all energy used in Ireland, the development of a compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling network will significantly decarbonise Ireland's commercial fleet. Developed by GNI, CNG will play a major role in making transport in Ireland cleaner in the first instance, with dramatic CO2 reductions pos- sible through the introduction of renewable gas. Ervia is also exploring other innovative technologies that could significantly improve Ireland's ability to meet climate action targets. We are undertaking a feasibility study on the potential of carbon capture and storage at the depleted gas field in Kinsale, county Cork. This project could reduce CO2 emissions from electricity generation plants by a minimum of 90 per cent. As well as these ambitious decarbonisation targets, I am committed to Irish Water's ambitious investment strategy to improve the delivery of Ireland's water and wastewater infrastructure and services. Over the next 15 years, we will invest over €13.5 billion in major projects that will ensure a safe and resil- ient water supply for the people of Ireland while rolling out our leak-reduction programme. The business will also upgrade critical wastewater infrastructure to reduce the number of assets currently overloaded and at risk of failure. We need to do all this to ensure that we return treated wastewater safely back into the environment. Fixing Ireland's water and wastewater issues will require sustained investment and effective operation and maintenance of our assets. We have a lot to do. Our plans include developing a new water supply source for the Eastern and Midlands region to meet the domes- tic, commercial and industrial needs of 40 per cent of Ireland's population in that region. In Dublin, we are implementing the Greater Dublin drainage project, which will provide a new wastewater facility to protect public health and safeguard the environment. With more than 400 capital projects planned, we are transforming the delivery of water services in Ireland and putting in place a plan that will lay the groundwork for Ireland's economic growth and social development. Mike Quinn is speaking at the Utility Week Congress 2018 in Birmingham, 9-10 October. For more information visit: event.utilityweek.co.uk/congress

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