Will a new battery plant support Irish grid stability?

In a bid to support Irish grid stability, Electricity Supply Board (ESB) has opened a major battery plant at its Poolbeg site in Dublin, which will add 75MW/150MWh of fast-acting energy storage.

Which energy company has a Bess project in Offaly?

A separate company, Lumcloon Energy, in conjunction with Hanwha Energy Corporation, has two operational BESS projects in Offaly, one at Lumcloon and another in Shannonbridge. Both are 100MW.

Where is a 20MW Bess project located?

The 20MW BESS, supplied by global market leader in utility-scale energy storage solutions and services, Fluence, will be co-located with Statkraft’s 55.8MW Cushaling Wind Farm. The wind project is currently under construction.

What challenges does Ireland's Bess market face?

According to Bobby Smith, head of Energy Storage Ireland (ESI), one of the main obstacles Ireland’s BESS market faces is the lack of route to market for battery operators. “A lot of energy storage has crept under the radar so far in Ireland,” he told ESS News. Developers secure planning quite easily but the route to market is a challenge.

How many MW does Bess have?

While total BESS operational capacity on the island was around 21 MW just over a year ago, these new projects bring the total capacity to 156 MW, and this number is expected to more than triple within the next 12 months as the industry goes from strength to strength. The projects include

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.