If the country ramps up green hydrogen production, Ireland could be regarded as a green energy superpower.

As we look ahead to the future of climate-action in Ireland, Energy Co-Operatives Ireland CEO Cormac Walsh believes hydrogen energy could play a key role.

The company works with communities across Ireland to develop a sustainable green hydrogen economy on the island of Ireland.

On Moncrieff, Mr Walsh described the simplicity of hydrogen as "fantastic".

"A wind turbine on its own or a solar panel on its own produces a bit of energy," he said.

"If you take that energy and you put it into a box beside the turbine - an electrolyzer -  you’ll get distilled water.

"The energy comes into the distilled water and in a couple of minutes these bubbles come out – that's actually hydrogen."

This hydrogen can then be stored and used at times when wind or solar power is low.

The energy can be scaled up to power anything from vehicles to data centres, Mr Walsh said.

Energy Co-operatives

Energy Co-Operatives Ireland are currently working with communities in Galway, Claremorris, Tralee and Valentia Island to develop applications for large off-shore wind projects to produce hydrogen.

Their first success story was the Aran Islands Energy Co-Op.

The three islands are working towards becoming self-sufficient in locally-generated renewable energy.

"The long-term strategy is that you'd be producing hydrogen on the platform and then you'd be taking that by pipeline and supplying it into Gas Networks Ireland who then adds it into their piping system," Mr Walsh said.

According to Mr Walsh, Gas Networks Ireland would both use the hydrogen to power Ireland and for export.

Germany

Mr Walsh pointed to Germany as a country that is using hydrogen power for decarbonisation.

By next year, Germany will implement a long-distance transmission network for hydrogen flow.

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Feature image: A hydrogen energy plant, Alamy.