Mayo poised to take centre stage in Europe's energy revolution

by Caoimhín Rowland

Mayo is poised to take centre stage in not just Ireland’s energy revolution, but Europe’s.

That’s not wishful thinking - it’s the assessment of the German government, which has identified Ireland’s west coast, where Mayo commands the largest share, as a key provider of offshore wind to power green hydrogen production.

In essence, Germany has turned off the taps on Putin’s gas and is now looking west - to us - for a sustainable alternative.

The question is whether this opportunity is already beyond the reach of NIMBYs who would seek to stall it. For Ireland, the shift towards becoming a net energy exporter is not just a policy ambition, it’s a necessity and a suitable way to meet our climate targets while promoting local industry.

Much of the talk circling current affairs is our over-reliance on corporation tax receipts, but one heartening fact about companies in the green hydrogen space is that they are indigenous and ambitious, a rarity in recent times.

Germany has been laying the groundwork for this transition for some time.

In July 2020, its government published a National Hydrogen Strategy, detailing a step-by-step action plan to integrate green hydrogen into its economy. Ireland, with its abundant renewable energy potential, is a natural partner. Unlike Germany, we lack large heavy industry, but we more than compensate with wind resources, particularly offshore.

This marks a fascinating evolution in our European Union membership. Once a lonely outpost on the edge of Europe, Ireland could soon be the manna from heaven that the continent’s manufacturing industry needs.

The end of Russian gas imports amid the ongoing Ukraine War and the “dissolution” of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline means that Irish green hydrogen is now being signposted as a key replacement - with Mayo at the forefront.

It’s hard not to reflect on how far we’ve come.

At the time of joining the European community then Mayo deputy Joseph Lenehan once quipped that EU membership would make us like the French, joking that we’d be scraping snails off buildings in Belmullet.

But in the 21st century, Ireland has a new bargaining chip - one that isn’t confined to British or American markets but extends to a European frontier where we’ve been slow to gain a foothold. More recently, the credence it would give the Irish in Frankfurt and Berlin to bounce back from bailouts to bridge that gap and thus fuel key economic sectors.

If Mayo is to export the fuel that will power German car manufacturers, foreign policy must follow suit. A west coast deeply embedded in Europe’s energy security will inevitably become a strategic target for adversaries. That reality must be considered as Ireland charts its energy future.

Recognising this potential, the Irish and German governments have signed a joint declaration of intent to collaborate on green hydrogen.

The agreement, inked by the recent Minister for Environment and Climate, Eamon Ryan, and German parliamentary state secretary Mario Brandenburg, cements a partnership that will see the renewable fuel produced in large quantities from European offshore wind farms in the coming decades.

Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, where renewable energy - wind or solar - is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

It is particularly suited for heavy transport and high-temperature industrial processes, offering a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. At three times the power of kerosene used in jet engines, hydrogen is an energy game-changer - though its volatility and transportation costs present challenges.

While much discussion surrounding grid upgrades has fallen on deaf ears, hydrogen differs by utilising the excess energy and storing it locally for it to be transported as required.

Essentially, anti-pylon politicians will be placated, but a volatile pass the parcel on where the gas will be stored may become a palaver in its own right here in Mayo.

One of Mayo’s most significant hydrogen projects, the Firlough development, has been in the works for four years and may well be in operation next year. If completed, Firlough will produce 4.5 million kilograms of green hydrogen annually - enough to fuel over 16,000 cars, 125 trains, or 1,400 buses.

The driving force behind Firlough is Mercury, a company led by CEO John Duffy, whose family hails from Foxford.

Mercury has been in business since 2009, and its Mayo-based project will create up to 150 construction jobs and 20 permanent positions.

The facility itself will include a 78-megawatt onshore wind farm with 13 turbines alongside the hydrogen production plant.

“The cost of production is very, very low in Mayo and the west because of the world-class wind resource,” noted a member of the Mercury team. That advantage could be Mayo and Ireland’s golden ticket in the global energy transition.