This is an exciting time for our company and it means that we can bring our market leading expertise in the renewable electricity, natural gas, biogas and energy services to the Flogas family. It represents a major market development which will combine Flogas’ activity in residential and SME business with our innovative and client focussed approach to the large energy and gas markets.

Welcoming the announcement, Liam Faulkner, of Naturgy Ireland, said: “This deal marks a very exciting time for us as we continue to develop products and services to support our customers with their energy sustainability goals.  Flogas Enterprise  will be well positioned to develop new offerings and enhance the services that our customers value so highly.

“We are proud of the deep relationships we have built with our customers, and they can be assured they can continue to expect the same level of service which we pride ourselves on and which they expect.” 

Paul Kenny, general manager, Flogas Energy said, “The acquisition of Naturgy Ireland is complementary to our existing business. With the strong pipeline of energy services and renewables that it brings to the table, the agreement will allow Flogas Enterprise support the further development of our portfolio of sustainable and renewable offerings for the large energy supply sector. It leaves us well-positioned to lead the energy transition for our customers in Ireland.”

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The acquisition by Flogas Energy is subject to approval by the CCPC (Competition and Consumer Protection Commission) in Ireland. Once approved, the agreement is expected to complete by the end of the year.

The announcement is a significant move for Flogas Energy, which acquired Just Energy’s Irish operation in 2019 and Budget Energy in Northern Ireland in 2020. Currently, Flogas Energy sells electricity, natural gas and LPG across the island of Ireland and supplies over 175,000 residential and primarily SME business customers. The acquisition of Naturgy Ireland will expand the company’s reach into the large Irish electricity and gas markets in Ireland, where it doesn’t compete at present, and represents an important step in its strategy to expand its energy solutions.

Paul Kenny, general manager, Flogas Energy said, “The acquisition of Naturgy Ireland is complementary to our existing business. With the strong pipeline of energy services and renewables that Naturgy brings to the table, the agreement will support the further development of our portfolio of sustainable and renewable offerings for the large energy supply sector. It leaves us well-positioned to lead the energy transition for our customers in Ireland.”

Since the original Irish company was purchased in 2016 by Naturgy Group SA, Naturgy has grown to approximately a 16.8% market share of the large industrial and commercial natural gas market here. It also supplies biomethane, renewable electricity, compressed natural gas (CNG) and more recently, a range of energy services that include Lighting-as-a-Service, Solar PV and Demand Response solutions.

Customers will be contacted directly to advise of the agreement with Flogas Energy and to confirm there will be no changes to their existing energy management contracts or account management services.

Welcoming the announcement, Liam Faulkner, of Naturgy Ireland, said: “This deal marks a very exciting time for us as we continue to develop products and services to support our customers with their energy sustainability goals.

“We are proud of the deep relationships we have built with our customers, and they can be assured they can continue to expect the same level of service which we pride ourselves on and which they expect.”

“We have been very impressed with Naturgy’s management in Dublin, so we are delighted that the team has agreed to remain with the business to continue its exciting development in association with Flogas Energy,” continued Kenny.

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The legislation establishes 2019’s Climate Action Plan as the agreed framework for Ireland’s future environmental targets and includes an annual review of the plan’s objectives.

Also included in the setting of carbon budgets and “emission ceilings” which will be passed by the Oireachtas based on recommendations from the Climate Change Advisory Council.

Under the new legislation, the Climate Change Advisory Council will be diversified, with additional expertise sought on climate science, transport, energy and agriculture in order to improve oversight and overcome challenges in implementing Ireland’s 2030 environmental targets.

In launching the Bill, Taoiseach Michéal Martin stated ‘’No one can doubt the fact that action on climate will lead to many difficult decisions. The impact of our actions on the planet is undeniable. The science is undisputed. Climate change is happening. And we must act.”

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2020 will now undergo pre-legislative scrutiny before being introduced into the Oireachtas for further debate. The draft legislation can be read here.

The European Commission has published its fifth State of the Energy Union Report, the first since the passing of the European Green Deal among EU member states over the Summer.

The Report highlights that the proportion of clean energy consumed in the EU continues to rise, but is critical of failings in energy efficiency and low-carbon-R&D spending. It also calls on EU member states to end subsidies currently provided on fossil fuels.

The Report finds that clean energy accounted for 18% of final energy consumption in 2018, with the figure set to rise to around 23% this year, with Covid-19 contributing to a reduction in demand for traditional fuels.

European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson said “The National Energy and Climate Plans are an essential tool for our work with Member States to plan the policies and investments for a green and just transition. Now is the time to turn these plans into reality and use them to lead us out of the Covid-19 crisis with new jobs and a more competitive Energy Union.”

The European Commission State of the Energy Union Report can be read in full here.

Research conducted into the role of women in the energy industry has highlighted the importance of investing in recruitment, retention and mentoring.

The second Women in Energy Global Study, conducted by NES Fircroft and Energy Jobline with over 3,000 energy professionals found that only 32% of women working in the energy sector said their employer has a formal mentoring programme and that this was identified as a key reason why women struggle to climb the career ladder.

Key results of the research included 70% of women in the energy workforce supporting greater sponsored training and learning opportunities and 57% the possibility of more flexible working.

Josh Young, Director at Energy Jobline stated “The energy industry continues to adapt itself for the future and this second-year report highlights the progression from last year and guides energy recruitment leaders in how they can further attract and retain a diverse workforce, that is proven to create the best results.”

The second Women in Energy Global Study can be found here.

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Business energy supplier Flogas is leading the charge to help business move to renewable energy in Ireland. It has been confirmed as supplying 100% renewable electricity to its customers, according to the Commission for Regulations of Utilities (CRU). Flogas’s leading edge Pathway to Greenness initiative helps businesses create and execute a plan to become more sustainable in line with internationally recognised best-practice protocols. Procuring 100% Green electricity from Flogas is only the first step of this approach.

The CRU today (25 September) issued its annual Fuel Mix Disclosure Report for 2019. The report confirms that Flogas continues to provide its customers with 100% renewable electricity.

’’We are proud that Flogas is providing 100% renewable electricity to our customers right across Ireland, a fact independently certified by the CRU’’ said Ross McConnell, Head of Renewables at Flogas Enterprise.

‘’Flogas was the first supplier in Ireland to achieve a 100% green electricity rating for our customers back in 2013. Our customers know the value we place on sustainability and transparency as two key pillars of our business. We source our renewable green electricity by purchasing it from renewable generators, across a range of technologies on the island of Ireland. Not only are we helping customers to reduce their own carbon footprint, but this also means we are helping Ireland to meet its climate action targets.’’

Our long-term commitment to making Ireland a cleaner, greener place and to helping businesses to navigate their own sustainable energy journey is why Flogas has become a leading and trusted supplier of renewable energy to Irish businesses. Ultimately, we help our customers to reduce, go green, and save on their energy needs.’’

The Fuel Mix Report for 2019 shows that renewables accounted for 54% of Ireland’s fuel mix in 2019, compared to 49% the year prior and up significantly on the 14% recorded a decade ago in 2009.

In addition to its certification as a supplier of 100% green electricity to businesses in Ireland, Flogas was also the first company to provide ‘green gas’ (or biomethane) in Ireland to its customer Tesco.

Biomethane is a low-carbon alternative to traditional fossil fuels which the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have said ‘’could contribute to future renewable energy production in Ireland and help to achieve the challenging carbon reductions in the energy sector the Ireland aspires to.’’

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The centrepiece of the Commission’s new climate plan is the ambition of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. The hope is that this will reduce the European Union’s reliance on fossil fuels and that the EU can lead the global drive towards cleaner, greener and more sustainable energy alternatives.

The building sector was highlighted in the Commission press conference as being responsible for 40% of the EU’s energy consumption. In addition, over one-third of the total greenhouse gas emissions from the European Union was as a result of the construction and building sector.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) are urging Governments around the world to more than double current annual investments in energy transition technology, in order to meet international climate targets and to help replace jobs lost as a result of COVID-19.

IRENA is claiming that investment of 4.5 trillion dollars per year on clean energy tech for the remainder of the decade could see 30 million people employed in renewables by 2030, with 5.5 million of those jobs coming in the next three years.

The IRENA report highlights the solar energy sector as one with large growth potential, citing the millions of PV workers employed in Asia, with North America a distant second for total number of people employed in solar energy.

In launching the report Francesco La Camera, IRENA Director-General said that ‘’as the world grapples with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the close connections between the natural environment, our economies and human well-being have taken centre stage. A clean, reliable energy supply and durable, healthy, low-carbon job creation are essential components to the transformative decarbonisation of our societies.’

At the annual conference of the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA), Chief Executive of the EirGrid group Mark Foley said that Ireland’s renewable energy targets could be met but would require educating members of the public on the benefits of renewable energy “in a real and tangible manner”.

EirGrid is a state-owned company that manages and operates the transmission grid across Ireland and which is responsible for the safety and security of the island’s electricity distribution network.

Mr. Foley said it was possible for Ireland’s to meet its 2030 environmental targets and to deliver an electricity grid capable of operating with close to 100% renewable energy, but that the challenge for the sector was to sell this vision to the general public.

Also, at the IWEA Conference, Minister for Climate Action Eamon Ryan outlined the Government’s plans for the decarbonisation of the energy sector and EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said Ireland was ‘’one of the global champions’’ in renewable wind power and had set an example for the rest of Europe.

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This strong performance in Q2 of 2020 means Ireland can now potentially reach the 2020 renewable energy target to source 40% of electricity from renewable sources.

Dr David Connolly, CEO of the Irish Wind Energy Association, said “Ireland is number one in the world for the share of electricity demand met by onshore wind. Last year we broke records by providing a third of the country’s electricity and, along with smaller contributions from other renewables, we are now clearly on track to reach Ireland’s 40% 2020 renewable electricity target. More wind power means less carbon emissions. It means fewer fossil fuel imports. It means more jobs and more investment in Ireland.”

The European Commission recently published the results of 10 EU-funded research projects which seek to exploit the potential of so-called ‘ocean energy’.

Forecasts show that by 2050, under the right conditions, ocean energy could contribute 10% of the European Union’s power demand, generate 400,000 jobs for European citizens and be worth up to 53 billion euro for the European economy.

The 10 projects highlighted by the European Commission include both software and hardware innovations which improve the efficiency of tidal and wave energy. The belief is that these projects will contribute to advancements in energy efficiency technology across Europe.

The European Commission highlights the potential benefits of ocean energy in providing high-skilled jobs to coastal communities and in being more predictable than either solar or wind energy.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for a ‘dramatic’ scaling up of clean energy technology to meet the challenges of climate change.

In publishing the IEA’s latest Energy Technology Perspectives 2020 report, Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol said ‘’despite the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 crisis, several recent developments give us grounds for increasing optimism about the world’s ability to accelerate clean energy transitions and reach its energy and climate goals.’’

The report analyses over 800 technology options to determine how the world could reach the target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and recognises that electricity alone cannot shoulder the burden of decarbonising the world’s economy.

The report, which is available here, calls on Governments to provide more support for investments and innovation in clean energy technology, warning that the technologies required for a greener future rely on innovation beginning today.

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The research shows that 21% of electricity in Europe is generated from wind and solar sources, with the comparative figures for China, India and Japan at just 10% and the United States slightly higher at 12%.

In total, renewables accounted for 40% of the EU’s power from January to June 2020, with fossil fuels contributing 34%, with figures also showing a moderate fall in coal consumption since the onset of Covid-19.

EMBER analyst Dave Jones said ‘’countries across the world are now on the same path – building wind turbines and solar panels to replace electricity from coal and gas-fired power plants’’ but warns that the pace of change is not fast enough to keep up with emissions targets. The full report can be read here.

A consortium of experts from Germany, Turkey and Spain have teamed up to develop a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) system which helps to optimize windmill safety and energy generation.

The consortium, known as the Smartwind Project says its AI system carefully monitors the technical components and functioning of wind farms and can identify signs of overheating or technical malfunctions, which can be expensive to repair.

The AI system can also calculate how wind turbines should be rotated so that as few turbines as possible are in the wind shadow of the other, allowing for more efficient energy generation in the long term.

The technology is currently being tested by Turkish wind farm operator Zorlu Enerji, with the hope of making the system available to other businesses in the coming years.  For more about the Smartwind Project visit their website.

Internet retailer Amazon has announced it is investing in a new 115-megawatt (MW) wind farm project in Ardderroo in Co Galway, which will begin operating in 2022.

This is in addition to existing projects being undertaken by Amazon in counties Cork and Donegal which are due to be realised in September 2020 and early 2022 respectively.

When all of these sites are operational, Amazon expects them to generate an additional 229 MW of renewable energy for the Irish grid each year.

The company previously announced its ambitions to reduce carbon emissions by 366,000 tonnes of CO2 each year and to produce enough renewable energy to power 185,000 Irish homes annually.

Amazon has announced it hopes its Irish operations will be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2025, with a goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040, a decade ahead of the targets set out under the Paris Agreement.

If you would like more information on any energy issues, please contact Flogas Enterprise at info@flogasenterprise.ie or on 01 8849400.

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The project, which is due to publish its 30-year strategy for harnessing offshore wind energy this week, has called Ireland an ideal location for offshore wind farm development stating ‘’Ireland has more offshore wind resource than energy demand and could become a hydrogen exporter.’’

The Eirwind strategy identifies three “production zones” in the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and Atlantic Coast and is expected to recommend master plans for ports including Cork Harbour, Rosslare, Co Wexford and Killybegs, Co Donegal, to support offshore wind and wave development.

Meanwhile, renewable electricity use is setting records across Europe in 2020. The European Commission has issued its quarterly report on European Electricity Markets which has found that renewable energy sources accounted for 40% of Europe’s electricity mix in the first quarter of 2020, the highest figure on record.

The Commission reports energy consumption falling 3% year-on-year in the EU27 due to the Covid-19 pandemic with Italy, Spain and France the countries most impacted.

The shift away from fossil fuels caused the carbon footprint of electricity generation in the EU27 to decrease by 20% year-on-year in the first quarter, according to preliminary estimates.

Elsewhere, it is believed that newly designed solar panels could help to decontaminate drinking water in developing countries.

Researchers in the United States are looking at developing a specially designed solar panel which, when placed in contaminated water sources could efficiently use sunlight to create clean drinking water.

They say that this breakthrough is based on laser processing technology that boosts the absorption potential of aluminium solar panels, allowing them to be used in solar water purification.

Prof. Chunlei Guo said ‘’this is a simple, durable, inexpensive way to address the global water crisis, especially in developing nations.”

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20% of Ireland’s total CO2 emissions comes from transport. This is the emissions from all cars and vans as well as heavy goods vehicles and bus fleets on our roads.

Of all the vehicles on the road in Ireland, 3% of these vehicles produce 20% of the emissions. These are the Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) and bus fleets. This represents a huge opportunity for Ireland to make a difference in reducing our Co2 emissions over the coming years.  Even by achieving a 25% conversion rate from diesel to CNG there is potential to eliminate 676,000 tonnes of CO2 using renewable gas which is the equivalent to removing 360,000 diesel cars.

Worldwide there are currently 19 million CNG vehicles on the road, Ireland is beginning to buy into the benefits of this technology. With the opening in Dec 2018 of the first public CNG fuelling station in Dublin Port we will see this change quickly over the coming years. There are ambitious plans to have a network of public CNG fuelling stations in place across Ireland and this will be driven by demand from the transport sector, Gas Networks Ireland roll out plans and government policy.

The Future

Renewable Biogas production is increasing in Ireland and will grow over the coming years. Getting access to this Biogas will be of huge significance to making an environmental impact on our transport emissions. Biogas will be a key source for CNG in the coming years, as using renewable biogas will have a massive impact on emission targets for the transport and other sectors.

As a roadmap for the transport sector, it is possible that hydrogen may become the primary fuel for transportation at some point in the future.

Ensuring strong use and uptake of CNG for transportation in Ireland now helps create a bridge to a hydrogen future.  CNG is a first step and a roadmap to this scenario.

Flogas Enterprise supplies 100% renewable energy and works with various stakeholders to ensure a clean energy future for Ireland working with our customers in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK with a renewable energy strategy that suits their business needs.

Contact the team and learn how we can help you meet your energy needs: info@flogasenterprise.ie; + 353 1 884 9400.

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Please see Flogas’s Brexit position link below. As always we are happy to talk more specifically to you about Brexit or any other energy queries you may have.

Feel free to contact us on info@flogasenterprise.ie

Brexit Position Dec 2019

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