Ireland shuts last coal plant, becomes 15th coal-free country in Europe (2025)

They'd be better off with (and are building out) offshore and onshore wind. If you've ever been to the west coast of Ireland you'll know they've got almost unlimited wind energy. The country is targeting 5GW of capacity by 2030 and 37GW in the distant future[1].

If only they could harness the power of rain, Ireland would truly be an energy superpower.

[1] https://www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/2025/10/30/winds-...

Re: Ireland shuts last coal plant, becomes 15th coal-free country in Europe (2025)

#7

Post by rithdmc » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 11:28 AM UTC

philipwhiuk wrote: post #5

cbdevidal wrote: post #3

Just in time for an energy crisis :-)

Maybe the difference is made up by renewables and not oil?

Natural gas is still the leader by a good margin.

Re: Ireland shuts last coal plant, becomes 15th coal-free country in Europe (2025)

#8

Post by Gravityloss » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 11:28 AM UTC

rwmj wrote: post #6

cbdevidal wrote: post #3

Just in time for an energy crisis :-)

They'd be better off with (and are building out) offshore and onshore wind. If you've ever been to the west coast of Ireland you'll know they've got almost unlimited wind energy. The country is targeting 5GW of capacity by 2030 and 37GW in the distant future[1]. If only they could harness the power of rain, Ireland would truly be an energy superpower. [1] https://www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/2025/10/30/winds-..…

Are they selling to UK that AFAIU stopped building wind 10 years ago. Regulatory advantage...

Re: Ireland shuts last coal plant, becomes 15th coal-free country in Europe (2025)

#9

Post by hvb2 » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 11:33 AM UTC

Gravityloss wrote: post #8

rwmj wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They'd be better off with (and are building out) offshore and onshore wind. If you've ever been to the west coast of Ireland you'll know they've got almost unlimited wind energy. The country is targeting 5GW of capacity by 2030 and 37GW in the distant future[1]. If only they could harness the power of rain, Ireland would truly be an energy superpower. [1] https://www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/2025/10/30/winds-..…

Are they selling to UK that AFAIU stopped building wind 10 years ago. Regulatory advantage...

Uh? No they didn't stop at all?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_the_United_Kingd...

Re: Ireland shuts last coal plant, becomes 15th coal-free country in Europe (2025)

#10

Post by ben_w » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 11:33 AM UTC

rwmj wrote: post #6

cbdevidal wrote: post #3

Just in time for an energy crisis :-)

They'd be better off with (and are building out) offshore and onshore wind. If you've ever been to the west coast of Ireland you'll know they've got almost unlimited wind energy. The country is targeting 5GW of capacity by 2030 and 37GW in the distant future[1]. If only they could harness the power of rain, Ireland would truly be an energy superpower. [1] https://www.irishtimes.com/special-reports/2025/10/30/winds-..…

> If only they could harness the power of rain, Ireland would truly be an energy superpower.

I know this is in jest, but that's basically "dam up some valley rivers and put a hydroelectric generator on the end", and unfortunately Ireland isn't so good for that. (It's not just the physical geology, it's also all the people living in the places you'd flood).

Hydro as a battery is easier and works in far more locations, but that's not harnessing the power *of rain*.

But yes, Ireland and the UK have an absolutely huge wind power resource available around them, IIRC enough to supply all of Europe if the grid connections were there to export it all.