ESB and dCarbonX have agreed to collaborate on the assessment and development of Irish offshore green hydrogen subsurface storage. This collaboration marks another milestone in the development of Ireland’s hydrogen economy as part of the country’s transition to a low-carbon future.
ESB and dCarbonX will collaborate on licensing, environmental studies, site selection, project sanctioning, offshore infrastructure development, commissioning, and operations adjacent to ESB’s existing and planned future infrastructure.
This agreement will cover all offshore subsea energy storage in Ireland and will also support the establishment of a projected new ‘Green Hydrogen Valley’ centered on Dublin’s Poolbeg peninsula. This valley will enable green hydrogen production and storage that can be utilized to decarbonize heavy transport, shipping, industrial, and power generation.
Padraig O’Hiceadha, ESB Strategy Manager, Generation and Trading, said: “ESB recognises that hydrogen produced from renewable electricity will play a significant role in the decarbonisation of many sectors. To that end, we plan to use our existing capabilities and future renewable growth to become a leading player in large scale renewable hydrogen production, thereby enabling renewable electricity, in the form of electrons or green molecules, to meet the energy requirements of Ireland’s future zero-carbon economy. We are proud to partner with dCarbonX to develop the many opportunities in this emerging industry.”
Tony O’Reilly, dCarbonX CEO, said: “The large-scale underground storage of green hydrogen is the critical element to Ireland fully exploiting its significant indigenous wind energy resources both for domestic consumption and overseas export. Our partnership with ESB leverages on our core subsurface capabilities, offshore operating expertise and project management skills to deliver the required subsurface energy storage solutions. We are excited to be working with a company of the calibre of ESB on this significant energy transition project which is of Irish and European strategic importance.”
Green hydrogen storage on a wide scale is critical for the development of future low carbon, resilient, and reliable energy sectors. Green hydrogen storage at scale in deep offshore caverns is a safe and cost-effective option that enables large-scale deployment of intermittent renewable energy while also improving national supply security and lowering system energy losses.
