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Let's have a Storengy Stublach or SSE Aldbrough valuation rather than Hill Top Farm and Hole House Farm. They won't be selling for that price :)

Https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/ireland-seeks-out-middle-east-sovereign-wealth-funds-1594110.html

Ireland hopes to tap sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East to invest in infrastructure projects as the Government seeks to keep pace with its fast-growing population.

Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney is meeting with potential investors in the Gulf this week during visits to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

RoI gov may have more funds coming available to support all island projects.

As recognised by the Department for the Economy (DfE) commissioned report by NUI Galway on hydrogen opportunities outlined in March 2021, "...due to its naturally occurring onshore and offshore wind resources, the potential for hydrogen exports should be of strong interest to Northern Ireland. Hydrogen offers a mechanism to capture otherwise wasted renewable energy, either where it is stranded (not grid-connected) or through curtailment (where the grid cannot take the generated power). By 'oversizing' production capacity, NI has the potential to use the generated hydrogen not only within its own borders but also as a mechanism to grow the economy through exporting and job creation."

Https://carboncopy.eco/initiatives/islandmagee-energy-storage

"Delivering large-scale hydrogen/natural gas storage to enable the vision of net zero carbon emissions in Northern Ireland."

Https://ehb.eu/page/european-hydrogen-backbone-maps

Schematic shows how Islandmagee salt caverns could join with European Hydrogen Backbone.

Https://www.hydrogeninsight.com/transport/-100-000s-off-fcevs-irish-government-opens-subsidy-programme-for-hydrogen-powered-heavy-duty-vehicles/2-1-1602634

The Irish government has opened up applications for a new subsidy scheme that could offer hundreds of thousands of euros towards the purchase of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks and buses.

Https://youtu.be/ns47zczDMQ4?feature=shared

Northern Ireland offers the potential for gas/hydrogen storage which may provide a further alternative to discuss with ESB close to demand centres as part of an all island energy solution.

Https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/business-bodies-in-all-island-approach-to-keep-lights-on-2DK6RCE2RREC3ETT5C4MJFFNGU/

Two of Ireland’s biggest business bodies are calling for an all-island approach to energy security as natural gas supplies decline and with no emergency storage in place in the event of a major disruption to the inter-connectors with Britain.

It comes at the height of the winter period and therefore a time of peak power consumption, when the risk is highest for insufficient electricity supply to meet demand.

CBI Northern Ireland and Ibec have jointly launched an all-island energy policy report, which highlights lack of coordination as a significant barrier to energy and climate progress.

It calls on policy-makers in both jurisdictions to develop and pursue a more coordinated and ambitious effort to transition to net zero and to recommit to a single electricity market.

Https://www.farmersjournal.ie/more/climate-and-environment/emissions-from-new-irish-gas-field-would-be-89-lower-than-imported-gas-report-752068

Source : Partial extract Daily Telegraph.

Households will be forced to pay an extra £600m a year on their energy bills unless plans to mix hydrogen into domestic gas supplies are urgently approved, ministers have been told.

National Gas, which runs the high-pressure gas transmission network, is understood to have alerted Downing Street and Claire Coutinho, the Energy Secretary, that a decision on so-called hydrogen blending is needed no later than July this year.

The company has claimed that without a decision, it will be forced to invest in costly facilities to ensure it can keep importing gas via interconnectors from Europe, where blending is expected to begin in 2025.

Interesting that if Europe blends gas with hydrogen from next year on the European network, UK network might not be able to import this gas unless hydrogen removed. This could be very significant for UK/RoI market.

Https://gcaptain.com/britain-backs-undersea-cable-to-tap-moroccan-renewable-power/

Picture of the proposed shop. Not clear if P&O are building it or date it goes out for tender.

Source Daily Telegraph today. "Britain to harness power of Sahara solar farms using 700ft ship"

A project to power Britain using solar farms thousands of miles away in the Sahara is moving a step closer to fruition as its backers prepare to commission the world’s biggest cable-laying ship.

The 700ft vessel will lay four parallel cables linking solar and wind farms spread across the desert in Morocco with a substation in Alverdiscott, a tiny village near the coast of north Devon.

Xlinks, the business behind the project, expects the ship to cost several hundred million pounds and be capable of carrying 200 miles of power cables, coiled and ready for deployment on the seafloor.

James Humfrey, new chief executive of subsidiary Xlinks First, said the vessel would lay two 100-mile lengths of cable at a time, then head back to the UK for the next two lengths.

On returning it would pick up the cable ends, connect them to the next lengths and repeat the process. Commissioning of the ship is expected later this year.

A spokesman for Xlinks said: “Designs for the ship are complete and we expect to commission it later this year.”

Proposals for the vessel, which is yet to be named, suggest it will carry 80 crew with cargoes of up to 26,000 tonnes.

The ship will be owned by Xlinks’s sister company, XLCC, which is also building a factory at Hunterston in Scotland to manufacture the 10,000 miles of cable.

Nice if construction for this vessel went to a UK company.

Orrderrrr, Orrrderrr :)

Thanks Si_D,

More recently Kaeren pointed us to this article with Brian Ó Gallachóir, Associate Vice-President for Sustainability at University College Cork. If you see him on LinkedIn seems very engaged on energy/climate issues.

https://www.agendani.com/energy-security-in-an-all-island-context/

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent price hikes of imported natural gas shone a focus on Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels to ensure energy security.

Although Ireland was relatively insulated from the physical risk to security of supply because of gas interconnections to Britain and a low Russian dependence, it is an outlier in the absence of gas storage.

Progress is, however, being made. The Irish Government recently published an Energy Security Strategy, while in the Northern Ireland, the first caverns of the Islandmagee (County Antrim) natural gas storage facility are expected to be operational by 2026."

Https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123023001573

Independent report published in June last year which nicely articulates the potential role of hydrogen for Ireland. References Islandmagee, Kinsale Gas Field and the link to the European Hydrogen system.

Interesting how a report written in 2023 is showing Islandmagee with a 2024 completion date. It would be interesting to know the basis for that date but a good read to get the bigger picture of the opportunity for Islandmagee.

Https://youtu.be/welOS_mUrF0?feature=shared

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/02/uaes-edge-group-and-italian-shipbuilder-fincantieri-stand-up-32-billion-jv/

32 billion dollar pipeline

Perhaps UK should look for a similiar deal

Https://geotvnews.com/5m-worth-of-repairs-as-calmac-ferry-out-of-service-for-more-than-seven-months-due-to-rust-geo-tv-news/

“The Scottish Government is fully committed to investing in our ferry network and delivering six new mega ferries by 2026 is a priority. We have invested over £2 billion in our ferry service since 2007 and we plan to invest in We have set a five-year investment of around £700 million to improve ferry infrastructure. CalMac is also investing further to improve the sustainability of the fleet and provide a more sustainable service for customers and communities.

Council Chair Robert Francis, Sea Links Statement. Full Council 22/02/24

Has issued a personal statement

Scrutiny Committee to have opportunity to question operators on Sea Link services

Special Full Council Meeting in March to agree way forward for lifeline transport links.