Gas generated 37% of Ireland's electricity last month, Gas Network Ireland's February Gas Demand Report shows today, while wind energy generated a total of 44% of electricity.
Gas Network Ireland said that total gas demand fell by 20% on a monthly basis last month and by 3% compared to the same time last year.
It noted that in February wind energy surpassed gas in its contribution to the grid, generating a total of 44% of the country's electricity.
It added that demand for gas in electricity generation fell from 44% in January to 37% in February, further reflecting wind’s strong performance.
Today's figures show that on an annual basis, gas demand increased substantially across a range of sectors, including construction, with demand up 24%, while manufacturing saw a 53% jump in demand and the office sector demand was up 35%.
Gas Networks Ireland's Director of Strategy and Regulation, Edwina Nyhan, said that February is traditionally one of the windiest periods of the year and wind energy contributed more to the grid than gas did last month.
"A closer look at the demand dynamics reflects the continued necessity of gas as a back-up during periods of low wind generation, and as the energy source of reliability and dependability for various key industries," Ms Nyhan said.
She said that because wind energy is contingent on specific weather conditions, it reached higher generation peaks than gas on a number of occasions throughout the month, but also dropped off occasionally, to the point where it was providing less than 1% of the country's electricity.
Gas proved a constant back-up, at least 11% of the electricity on the grid at all times, and often substantially more," she added.
