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Ireland could face being cut off if the UK experiences gas shortages this winter, a leading MEP has warned.
The UK’s energy regulator Ofgem has warned of a “significant risk” of natural gas shortages due to the war in Ukraine, and that has sparked alarm in Ireland, which imports about 70% of its gas from Scotland via the Moffat interconnector pipeline.
“We are at the mercy of British companies in terms of supplying gas,” said Billy Kelleher, Fianna Fáil MEP for Ireland South.
“I mean, clearly we have to have some kind of agreement with the UK government and the UK gas suppliers that in the event of a shortage we will still be supplied with gas. And that clearly makes us very vulnerable.”
IrelandThe only source of natural gas, the Corrib gas field off the coast of Co Mayo, supplies about 30% of the country’s needs, and is predicted to decline over the next decade.
The Irish coalition government – particularly the Green Party – opposes the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) over links to fracking, and Ireland has no LNG terminals or storage capacity.
“We need to do an awful lot in terms of gas storage and our ability to import gas by other means,” Mr Kelleher told Sky News.
“Mainly LNG, so we are not dependent on the UK gas companies and the British government itself, which is having difficulty sourcing enough gas for its own country.”
Concerns over the security of Ireland’s gas supply come against the backdrop of a cost of living crisis and concerns about already rising energy prices.
An hour’s drive from the Bellanaboy Bridge gas terminal, where Corrib gas is piped ashore, is the town of Ballina.
At the city’s community center, Olive O’Donnell is busy overseeing Meals on Wheels service volunteers, preparing dinner for about 40 users.
Olive O’Donnell, Chairman of Bellina Meals on Wheels
As dinners of bacon, cabbage and turnips shrivel up, and apple pies are slurped, Ms O’Donnell says her energy costs have risen by around €300 (£264) a month.
More importantly, it can see the impact Hike has had on its mostly elderly users.
“They are really, really worried,” she tells Sky News. “They are stretched to the limit. And fear, fear is there.
“When you talk to them, they say, ‘Oh are we going to survive the winter, are we going to have heat? Are we going to be able to keep ourselves warm?’.”
Across the River Moy, 88-year-old Helen O’Connor gets her food from one of the volunteer drivers. Originally from Yorkshire, he has lived in the west of the Ireland city since 1985, and is concerned about the cost of staying warm.
Helen O’Connor, 88, receives dinner at her home in Ballina, Co Mayo
“I don’t move very fast, so, I don’t warm up very quickly,” she said.
“So I tend to wear an extra one [layer of clothing], and an extra one, and then a blanket. It’s not that simple.
“I’m trying to be very economical with myself from every point of view, not just for my bills, but for the planet. I don’t use more fuel than I have to.”
The city’s mayor, Councilor Mark Duffy, says there is “huge anxiety and concern in the community”.
“Ireland is a very open economy, so we’re facing a vulnerability in energy supply. But that’s why we need to focus on a future where we’re self-sufficient, that we have sustainable solutions, but of course it’s shocking, and people So there is concern that we are so dependent on UK supply,” he said.
The Irish government is keen to minimize the risk.
A spokesman for Environment Minister Eamon Ryan said that in the event of a supply crisis in the UK, “the Moffat Interconnector will be treated in the same way as the distribution network in Great Britain” – something that National Grid in the UK has also suggested. be the case.
Cllr Mark Duffy, Mayor of Ballina
And any move to cut gas supplies to the Republic of Ireland would be complicated by the fact that state-owned Gas Networks Ireland owns and operates two pipelines that supply most of Northern Ireland with gas.
John Fitzgerald, assistant professor of economics at Trinity College Dublin and a former member of the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation, told Sky News: “Northern Ireland will need the co-operation of the Irish Government to continue supplies, even if supplies to the Republic are cut off. .
“So I would expect a cooperative solution to any – unlikely – need for ration gas.”
But the alarm highlights the urgent need for Ireland to diversify its energy supply, particularly as output from the Corrib gas field is predicted to decline over the next decade.
Ireland will remain heavily dependent on British gas supplies to meet its critical energy needs until there is greater use of alternative energy or a policy change to embrace LNG imports.
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