Sir, – Eamon Ryan is right that electrification is central to lowering emissions and that Ireland starts from a position of strength, with smart meters, a competitive electricity market and strong wind resources (“How Ireland can make electricity cheap again”, Opinion, June 30th).
The weakness in his plan lies in a key assumption. He suggests renewables, storage, interconnection and existing back-up generation will be sufficient. That assumes the hardest problem has been solved, which it has not.
The challenge is dunkelflaute, prolonged periods when wind and solar output fall together across Ireland and Britain. Batteries can balance the grid over short durations, but Ireland’s current installed capacity would meet demand for about half an hour, not the multi-day or multi-week deficits observed in such events.
Lithium-ion systems are therefore inherently limited by energy duration rather than power capacity, and carry additional constraints related to thermal runaway risk, lifecycle degradation and material supply. Long-duration storage technologies capable of delivering firm capacity over extended periods remain at an early stage of deployment.
RM Block
Until then, gas generation remains essential. The public should be told clearly about the costs of maintaining this back-up and ensuring grid stability. – Yours, etc,
DR HUGH DILLON,
Naas,
Co Kildare.
