Ireland to Develop EU-Funded Natural Gas ‘Causeway’ to Greener Transportation

NUI Galway and Gas Networks Ireland are leading the introduction of CNG and renewable natural gas for trucks, vans and buses in Ireland. The project will support an overall nationwide roll-out of 70 CNG filling stations. In addition to this, a renewable gas injection facility will be built in 2018. This will introduce renewable gas into the natural gas network for the first time.

The work which is undertaken in Ireland will be monitored and documented by NUI Galway. This research will then be fed back to gas operators all over Europe and will assist in the development of similar projects across the continent.

“Transport accounts for over one third of all energy used in Ireland,” said Denis O’Sullivan, Head of Commercial at Gas Networks Ireland. “The development of a natural gas transport network will significantly de-carbonise Ireland’s commercial fleet. CNG, and the soon to be introduced renewable gas, will play a major role in making transport in Ireland cleaner.”

The Causeway project, which is funded under the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), will deliver a clean energy project for Ireland’s transport sector, and in doing so, provide a template for the rest of Europe. NUI Galway is leading the dissemination element of the nearly $30 million project. Its work will facilitate new green energy developments across Europe.