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Some of the country’s largest energy users will aim to reduce their carbon footprint through a new €75m initiative set up by ESB.
ESB estimates that a new €75m fund will help Ireland’s biggest energy users to reduce carbon emissions by up to 2m tonnes. The fund includes up-front capital to support energy-saving infrastructural projects and is open to large businesses with an overall energy bill of more than €200,000 per year.
ESB said that its Smart Energy Services team will produce an initial analysis of energy savings potential at no cost to clients. Similar projects have already been rolled out to more than 300 large businesses in Ireland and the UK, including Tesco, the Dublin Airport Authority and Ardagh Glass.
Welcoming the funding, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan, TD said: “As Ireland transitions to a carbon-neutral future, companies must be encouraged to adopt technologies that will reduce their carbon emissions and energy costs. I welcome ESB’s initiative in supporting large energy commercial users, especially during these challenging times for businesses.”
More ambitious plans
Tesco Ireland is one of the businesses to have availed of previous support from ESB. Its chief operating officer, Geoff Byrne, said the partnership helped reduce the company’s overall energy consumption by 24pc in the last five years.
“Another aspect of our ESB Smart Energy Services partnership is that we are continuing to roll out our electric vehicle charging points at 52 store locations across the country, providing customers with convenience-based charging while they shop,” he added.
“With these initiatives, we are pleased to support the Government’s Climate Action Plan and to further deliver on our aim to become a zero-carbon retailer by 2050.”
The Government’s Climate Action Bill was published earlier this month, including a commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Programme for Government released earlier this year set a national commitment of an average 7pc per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030, which would be a 51pc reduction over the coming decade.
