Decarbonising our network
As part of Ireland's Climate Action Plan, Gas Networks Ireland has committed to achieving a 51% reduction in its Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. To help achieve this goal, we plan to embark on a major decarbonisation project at our two compressor station sites in Southwest Scotland (the South West Scotland Onshore System) which together supply almost 80% of Ireland’s natural gas requirements.
The project will see each site gain a new Electric Motor Drive (EMD), thus leading to a 42% reduction in our overall operational GHG emissions compared with current levels.
EMDs act as replacements for traditional gas turbines and are a cleaner, greener and leaner option for transporting gas. They produce zero on-site emissions and have a 95% efficiency rate. They also produce less noise and are more efficient to operate.
This €200m electrification project has the potential to deliver huge environmental wins. It will also further strengthen the overall resilience and sustainability of Ireland’s gas infrastructure.
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Project update
The decarbonisation project was unveiled to coincide with the UK-Ireland Summit held in Cork on March 12th 2026. The project is currently at the detailed design and planning phase. We have completed due diligence and initiated proactive and positive engagement with key stakeholders in Ireland and Scotland.
The local planning application is due to be submitted to Dumfries and Galloway Council in Scotland in the second quarter of 2026.
The tender processes for both the EMD supply, and the new compressor hall design and build, are also approved and live. In line with current forecasts, construction will commence when supplier contracts are awarded, with the new EMDs anticipated to be operational in 2030.
What is an Electric Motor Drive (EMD)?
An Electric Motor Drive – or EMD for short – is an electric motor used to power the gas compressor halls instead of traditional internal combustion engines. They are capable of taking the base load which means they can act as a spare or substitute for traditional compressors.
In addition to carbon dioxide, the EMDs reduce other environmental pollutants normally emitted by exhaust stacks into the atmosphere such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and methane.
Electric Motor Drives are zero emissions technology and also classed as “Best Available Technology” (BAT) by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. They are widely used by other gas Transmission System Operators including in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Austria.
As well as being better for the environment, EMDs provide greater network resilience by providing greater operational flexibility and capacity. For example, this would allow us to take our other existing compressor halls completely offline for repair and upgrade works in their entirety rather than in parts.
When operational, it is intended that the EMDs will be powered by renewable energy.
