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ESB sets out plan for net zero carbon emissions by 2040

The ESB has set out an ambitious programme to reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040 and to increase its capacity from renewable energy sources five-fold by 2030 to five gigawatts of power.

The renewable technologies will include wind, solar and storage, with the big emphasis being on offshore wind.

The company says it has seven offshore wind projects in the pipeline, and together they would have the capacity to generate five gigawatts - slightly more than the current total installed wind capacity in the state.

The company is investing in new gas plants but it says this is a transition measure, and the future will be wind, backed up by hydrogen and battery storage.

ESB Deputy Chief Executive Jerry O'Sullivan says the company is confident it will be able to get its projects delivered on time, saying: "We are familiar with the planning process, it's something we respect, every element of it. We do not see it as an issue to meet our 2030 target."

The company is still considering a ruling from An Bord Pleanala on the Derrybrien wind farm in Co Galway, the site of a peat slide in 2003. Mr O'Sullivan says all options are being considered.

The ESB is more definite on the future of Moneypoint power station.

It says it is sticking to plans to shut down the coal plant there and to build a 1.5GW wind farm offshore. The power generated from that could be used to generate green hydrogen at a new power hub at Moneypoint.

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan has welcomed the ESB's 2040 Net Zero plans and says hydrogen will be a big part of the future of energy in Ireland.

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Mr Ryan says offshore wind has the potential to produce 30 gigawatts of power "six times what we currently use as a country". He says the big challenge will be to discover how to store that.

"Hydrogen is increasing, obviously that's going to be a key measure, it'll be used the existing power plants where we can blend it in, in some of the gas plants, but also for industry and also for transport, it'll take some time, but that's the future."

He says the Government will be aiming to accelerate delivery on climate action over the next three years and the ESB strategy is in line with that.

Battery storage will be another renewable way to keep the lights on when the wind doesn't blow. Work on battery plants at Aghada near Whitegate in Co Cork and Inchicore in Dublin is already well under way.

They will be able to store energy for wind farms for several days and between them will have a capacity of just under 50MW. Other bigger plants are planned for Poolbeg and the South Wall in Dublin.

While the big expansion in wind capacity will be offshore, the ESB does also plan to build new onshore wind farms.

Mr Ryan says while onshore wind developments will be part of the mix, he accepts there are limits.

"It's part of getting this balance between economic development and environmental protection right, and there is a limit, because we would start to reach a point where it has too intrusive an impact on our landscape and our local communities."