4. Natural gas
Key data
(2017 provisional)
Gas production: 3.5 bcm (2.8 Mtoe), +26.6% since the production peak year in 1995 Net imports: 1.7 bcm (1.4 Mtoe), -68.4% since the peak demand in 2010
Share of gas: 31.5% of TPES, 51.1% of electricity generation, 16.3% of TFC*
Gas consumption by sector*: 5.2 bcm (4.2 Mtoe), power and heat generation 55.2%, industry 18.0%, residential 13.3%, commercial 10.8%, other energy 2.7%
* Consumption figures are from 2016 data.
Overview
Natural gas was the second-largest energy source in Ireland in 2017, representing 31.5% of the total primary energy supply (TPES), and the third-largest share of total final consumption (Figure 4.1). Ireland ranked the third highest among all International Energy Agency (IEA) countries in terms of reliance on gas for energy supply.
Figure 4.1 Share of natural gas in different energy metrics, 1987-2017
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Share of natural gas |
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1987 |
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60% |
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1997 |
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50% |
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2007 |
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40% |
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2017 |
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30% |
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20% |
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10% |
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0% |
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Domestic energy production Total primary energy supply |
Electricity generation Total final energy consumption* |
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The importance of natural gas in Ireland’s energy mix has increased over past decades, and it now accounts for over half of electricity generation.
* Latest available consumption data are from 2016.
Source: IEA (2018a), World Energy Balances 2018, www.iea.org/statistics/.
Since commercial operation of the Corrib gas field began in December 2015, Ireland’s gas self-sufficiency jumped from 3% to 67% in 2017, replacing gas imports from the United Kingdom. However, with Corrib gas production anticipated to drop by half in the
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ENERGY SECURITY
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