Renewable energy sources delivered nearly half of Ireland’s electricity demand in December 2024, according to provisional data from grid operator EirGrid.
Most of the renewable power came from wind farms, which accounted for over 40% of all electricity used, totalling 1,287 GWh during the month. Other sources such as grid-scale solar and hydropower helped bring the total amount of renewable generation to 46.7% of the electricity consumed.
Ireland has seen a steady uptick in the amount of electricity being generated by renewable sources. In November 2024, renewables covered 33.3% of all electricity demand, which is roughly where the renewable mix stood for most of the year, hovering between the 30-40% range.
December was one of the best months for renewable generation in Ireland for the whole of 2024, although slightly more wind was generated at other periods throughout the year – with 1,379 GWh generated in January and 1,414 GWh in February. That figure should begin to creep higher in the coming years, however, with Ireland widely having been expected to meet its milestone of 5 GW of installed wind capacity at the end of 2024.
Of course, the latest figures remain subject to finalisation by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), which will include non-centrally monitored generation such as small-scale combined heat and power and microgeneration in its annual report.
Diarmaid Gillespie, Director of System Operations at EirGrid, said: “Wind energy contributed strongly to electricity generation last month, marking one of the highest December figures for wind energy generation on record according to provisional data.”