Problem to address
The role of renewable gas is still uncertain in Ireland's future energy system. Most research focuses on renewable electricity and heating. Less attention is given to renewable gases like biomethane and hydrogen.
Wider community perspectives on renewable gas are also unclear. Different groups within society may hold conflicting opinions on the installations of these gases. Without this knowledge, it’s harder to make accurate decisions about Ireland's future energy transition. EngageGasGrid aims to understand how renewable gases can play a bigger role in our energy system.
The proposal
EngageGasGrid researchers will explore how biomethane and hydrogen can combine with other energy sources. The project will include input from industry experts, policymakers and communities. A new methodology will integrate stakeholder perspectives, challenges, and priorities into renewable gas scenarios and use cases, using computational tools to reconcile differing views.
This creates a more clear picture of the opportunities and challenges ahead. EngageGasGrid will also outline ways to increase the use of renewable gas, reduce emissions and support a reliable energy system.
Meet the EngageGasGrid team
Dr. Siobhan O'Sullivan
Dr Siobhan O'Sullivan is an Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Social Policy in the School of Applied Social Studies...
Dr. Siobhan O'Sullivan
Dr Siobhan O'Sullivan is an Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Social Policy in the School of Applied Social Studies at University College Cork (UCC). She is Deputy Director of UCC’s Collective Social Futures and the Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century (ISS21) and she is co-lead on the ReGasIn project. She aims to work creatively with communities to address global, social and environmental challenges through interdisciplinary research. Her work is widely funded by European agencies, Research Ireland, Cork City Council, government departments, and community and non-governmental organisations.
Dr. Pádraig Lyons
Dr Pádraig Lyons is Head of the International Energy Research Centre (IERC), a multi-disciplinary research group of 30 staff members...
Dr. Pádraig Lyons
Dr Pádraig Lyons is Head of the International Energy Research Centre (IERC), a multi-disciplinary research group of 30 staff members and PhD students, at Tyndall.
He has held roles in industry including roles at ESB, TNEI UK and in academia at Newcastle and Durham Universities in the UK.
His current research focus on new technologies such as bioenergy and long-duration energy storage to enable deep decarbonisation of the energy system in the context of growing penetrations of renewables and increasing requirements for load on the energy system driven by electrification of heat and transport, decarbonisation of industry and datacentre growth. To support the research objectives in this area requires multi-disciplinary approaches and works collaboratively with researchers in adjacent areas such as new business models for decarbonisation, policy innovation, renewable generation, big data and artificial techniques for energy and social sciences.
Dr Lyons is a chartered engineer, is a Fellow at the School of Engineering, University College Cork and is a member of the IEA established International Smart Grid Action Network's (ISGAN's) Working Group 7 on Smart Grids Transitions.
Meet our Innovation Steering Members
Professor Clive Deadman
Clive began his career as an engineer in the African mining and UK automotive sectors. He then spent nine years...
Professor Clive Deadman
Clive began his career as an engineer in the African mining and UK automotive sectors. He then spent nine years in private equity, working with investors and innovators to grow a range of new ventures in energy, environmental services and clinical care. He later spent 20 years with United Utilities (£100 billion assets) and Electricity North West (£20 billion assets).
In recent years Clive has written two books and served as Chair and Non-executive Director of several regulatory and asset-owning organisations, as well as Professor of Water and Energy at Cranfield University.
He has extensive experience of living and working internationally.
PJ Rudden
With an honours degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCD, PJ Rudden has over 40 years’ experience in gas,...
PJ Rudden
With an honours degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCD, PJ Rudden has over 40 years’ experience in gas, water and waste management. In 2020, he was appointed Chair of the Construction Sector Group (CSG) Subgroup in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and an External Member of the Project Ireland 2040 Delivery Board reporting to the Minister.
The Gas 2025 Report by (Sofregaz/MCOS/Penspen/JPKenny) published in 2000 recommended several pipeline supply options including a Second Gas Interconnector and a Gas Pipeline to the West from Dublin-Athlone-Galway-Limerick which resulted in a total pipeline length of 335km, the longest pipeline in the Irish state.
Another major project around this time was Dublin Waste to Energy Project which was designed to replace many depleted landfills around the country and to replace these with a state-of-the-art thermal treatment plant at Poolbeg in Dublin Port with a future possibility now of a district heating project in the Docklands area.
P J Rudden sought to explore gas innovation in UK with Scotia Gas Networks (SGN) who were responsible for Scotland and Southern England south of the River Thames and tendered successfully for Network Innovation Competition (NIC) with the Regulator Ofgem. The project comprised the design, manufacture and field testing of new inspection and repair robots. The breakthrough robotic systems were developed to allow gas utilities to identify mains and extend the life of large diameter cast iron pipeline infrastructure.
In 2006, P J Rudden was also appointed by the National Standards Authority of Ireland to chair the TC 5 Committee to update Irish Gas Standard IS 328. The TC5 Committee completely updated the new document which was finally published in 2021.
He was also Project Director for the Irish Scottish Links Energy Study (ISLES) for the Governments of Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland (2010-2014) which led transboundary policy formulation across Regulatory, Market, Technology, Environmental and Planning workstreams for the future development of offshore energy (wind, wave and tidal). He reported directly to the Head of Energy, Scottish Government and to the ISLES Technical Committee of the three Governments and presented the recommendations to the three Ministers meeting in Glasgow in 2014.
Throughout his career, he was also President of Engineers Ireland and President of the UCD Engineering Graduates Association. He was also Director of the EU Commission Secretaire for the European Green Capital Award for the most sustainable cities across Europe.