On Monday, the SEAI published the Energy Balance review for 2023. The reports confirm what most of us already know: progress has been made, but it’s nowhere near enough.

Figures show that energy-related emissions were down by around 8% in 2023. This is a record rate of reduction and the lowest since 1993. However, much of this can be attributed to “emission-neutral” electricity imported into Ireland via interconnectors, which was at record levels.

While we have increased our renewable energy generation, it is still far from enough to meet 2030 targets. Overall, 14.2% of our energy came from renewables in 2023, well below a baseline target of 16%; 82.6% came from fossil fuels, while 3.2% came from other sources. Our 2030 target is to have 43% coming from renewables, and, at the current trajectory, we won’t meet it as new generation is being outstripped by demand. Here’s how the sectors fare.

Electricity

Last year, 38.9% of our electricity came from renewables, and our 2030 target is for 80%. Emissions from electricity use fell by around 20%, which is substantial. However, this was mainly driven by the increased use of imported electricity via our interconnectors with the UK, accounting for 9.5% of total use. In a press briefing with the Irish Farmers Journal, the SEAI explained that imported electricity is classed as zero-emission on our balance sheet, with the emissions accounted for in the country of origin instead of where it is used.

However, new records for electricity generation were set in 2023, with wind reaching 11.67 TWh (terawatt hours) and solar PV at 0.65 TWh, both of which also helped reduce emissions. In particular, rooftop solar generation exploded in 2023, up 96% on the previous year to 0.18 TWh.

But the addition of renewables is being outstripped by demand, which increased by 4.4% last year, impacting our ability to meet tough carbon budgets. For example, we added around 0.3 Gigawatt (GW) of wind capacity to the grid last year, but to meet our 2030 onshore and offshore target, we need to be adding around 1.5GW/year. The outlook for 2024 is promising, as emissions from the electricity sector in the first six months reached their lowest level in decades, a 17% reduction, again driven by increased energy imports and increased renewables. Electricity from solar farms was up 75% in the first half of 2024, from a low base.

Transport

Road transport emissions remained relatively unchanged in 2023, despite record levels of fossil fuel blending with biodiesel and bioethanol. Ireland’s road transport energy remains over 90% reliant on imported fossil fuels. Biodiesel now accounts for 8.4% of all diesel used in Ireland, while bioethanol in petrol accounts for 4.2%. This trend is set to continue in 2024. While EVs are becoming more common on the road, the current level of uptake has a negligible impact on transport emissions, accounting for less than 1%.

Heat

At long last, 2023 saw progress made in addressing Ireland’s heat sector, with the country’s largest source of energy emissions decreasing by around 4%. Renewables in the heat sector now stand at 7.2%, but we must reach 16.2% by 2030. The amount of renewable heat provided to Irish homes by heat pumps increased by 30.6%, but the majority still comes from oil, gas, or coal.

Data centres

Ireland used 4.4% more electricity in 2023 compared to the previous year, mostly due to new data centre connections the SEAI has said. Of the extra 1.3 TWh of electricity needed in 2023, 1.1 TWh was required to meet the increased energy demands from data centres in Ireland. In 2023, data centres accounted for 20% of Ireland’s electricity demand. For comparison, Ireland’s residential sector, consisting of 1.9m occupied houses, accounted for 25.5%. This increase in electricity demand outpaced the connection of new renewable energy sources.

Aviation

Aviation energy reached a record high last year. In 2023, Ireland’s energy demand for international aviation reached the highest level ever recorded. Ireland used 1.35bn litres of jet fuel for international aviation in 2023, enough to fill a bathtub for every person in Ireland, the SEAI said.

Agriculture

At 3.16 TWh, energy use in agriculture decreased by around 10% in 2023 compared 2022 across the sectors two main sources of fuel, oil (such as gas oil and diesel) and electricity.

However, it should be noted that energy use in 2022 was considerably high, up 29% from 2021. Energy use in agriculture remained relatively stable in the years prior to 2022.