Report estimates up to 5,000 jobs could be created in energy storage sector by 2035
According to initial findings from a new Energy Storage Ireland and Green Tech Skillnet report, thousands of new jobs could be unlocked in the energy storage sector by 2035. The estimates range from over 2,000 to up to 5,000 jobs depending on the growth of the sector with construction, engineering and financing considered key contributors.
The findings from the forthcoming KMPG report Investment & Employment Potential in the Irish Energy Storage Sector, were presented at the annual Energy Storage conference in Croke Park today.
Ireland currently has 700 MW of energy storage, however, the KPMG report shows that up to eight times more storage than this is needed by 2035.
Energy storage is one of the fastest growing segments within the power sector. This is mainly driven by battery storage, but other forms of energy storage such as green hydrogen are also becoming prominent. The lack of a consistent talent pipeline for the sector puts this growth at risk, due to an overall lack of awareness of the sector, lack of defined career paths and a lack of suitable training courses.
Bobby Smith, head of Energy Storage Ireland, said: “Currently, 40% of our electricity comes from renewable sources but we need to get this to 100% by 2035. Energy storage will play a key role in enabling this shift to renewables. However, for this to happen, a significant uplift in investment in energy storage is needed. Investing in energy storage is also investing in Ireland’s energy security, as the more we can rely on renewables like wind and solar, the less we need to rely on imported fossil fuels.
“Without energy storage we will waste a lot of renewable energy and it will make it harder to phase out fossil fuels.”
Terence McGovern, director in KPMG Sustainable Futures, said: “Ireland’s energy storage sector has grown rapidly in recent years, largely on the back of expertise transferred from the wider renewable energy sector but to deliver its full potential we now need to invest in developing the skills and workforce to meet our much greater future energy storage needs. As our analysis shows, mobilising additional energy storage capacity in the near term will have both immediate and long-term benefits.”
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