Are battery energy storage systems a 'great achievement' in Ireland?

ESB Networks described the project as a “great achievement for battery storage” in Ireland. Battery energy storage systems, often referred to as Bess, are regarded as a vital part of the Ireland’s fledgling renewable energy sector and demand for them has never been higher.

What will ESB's new battery plant do for Ireland?

ESB, the state-owned electricity company, has announced the opening of a major battery plant at its site in Poolbeg, Dublin. The battery plant will add around 75MW of fast-acting energy storage to make the grid in Ireland more stable and increase the share of renewables in the electricity system.

How does electricity storage work in Ireland?

For context, peak demand on Ireland’s electricity system is approximately 5.5 GW. Electricity storage systems such as utility-scale battery projects also provide essential backup services to the grid that help to keep the electricity supply secure, reduces carbon emissions and ultimately reduces costs to the consumer.

How many battery storage projects are there in Ireland?

More currently, according to our colleagues at Solar Media Market Research, which produces the Republic of Ireland Battery Storage Project Database Report, there are now 545MW and 609MWh of utility-scale BESS projects already operational in the Republic of Ireland.

How much energy will ESB provide to Ireland's Electricity System?

Image: Fennell Photography Operational since November last year, the project has the capacity to provide 75MW of energy to Ireland’s electricity system for around two hours. ESB, the state-owned electricity company, has announced the opening of a major battery plant at its site in Poolbeg, Dublin.

How good is Ireland's energy storage strategy?

Smith pointed out that Ireland’s energy storage strategy, published in 2024, was “quite positive.” A lot of high-level plans and a technology agnostic outlook. “Unfortunately, we haven’t seen a lot of progress on those actions which is a problem we are trying to address,” said Smith.