DfE - NI electricity interconnection and energy storage modelling and assessment

DfE - NI electricity interconnection and energy storage modelling and assessment The Northern Ireland Executive adopted the Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland in December 2021. The vision of the Strategy sets out how Northern Ireland will achieve net zero carbon and affordable energy, in line with UK Government commitments, by 2050. The Energy Strategy identified a target of 70 percent of electricity consumption to be from a diverse mix of renewable sources by 2030. This target has since increased to 80 percent through the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. In March 2024 the Department for the Economy (DfE) published the Energy Strategy Action Plan for 2024 which outlines some of the key actions being delivered as part of the Executive’s Energy Strategy - The Path to Net Zero Energy. One of the identified Actions (no.14) states, ‘DfE will commission research into the costs and benefits to the NI Consumer for different Interconnection scenarios, multiple Energy Storage options and the 80 percent Renewable Electricity target up to 2030 and beyond’. This project relates to the commissioning of research and modelling associated with the delivery of this agreed Action.