Northern Ireland Ready to Lead the Global Net Zero Economy

Department for the Economy Minister Conor Murphy recently launched the ‘Path to Net Zero Energy’ Action Plan, detailing essential steps to advance the growth of a Net Zero economy in Northern Ireland.

The Action Plan outlines key priorities, including advancing Northern Ireland’s core net zero technologies, driving their growth, and positioning the region as a global leader in developing and supplying low carbon enabling technologies.

The Minister states: “Low carbon heating technologies, such as heat pumps, both at a domestic or industrial scale with heat networks, also offer an opportunity to decarbonise our domestic and commercial buildings.”

Northern Ireland IS Uniquely Positioned

Discussing the implications of the Net Zero Action Plan, Ryan Daly, MD of Daly Renewables and Renewables Director at b4b Renewables, welcomed the Minister’s vision:

“In Northern Ireland, we have the advantage of a rich geology, providing us quite literally with ‘the heat beneath our feet,” said Ryan.

We can leverage this natural resource by utilising geothermal energy through Ground Source Heat Pumps. Northern Ireland is uniquely equipped to lead the implementation of net zero economies.”

Ryan added: “The Minister’s Action Plan emphasises sector collaboration to accelerate progress toward Net Zero. By joining forces, we can leverage Northern Ireland’s technology, expertise, and natural resources to set a global benchmark for other economies to follow.”

“The Action Plan outlines the government’s intentions to roll out net zero technologies using the technologies manufactured and renewable engineering expertise here within Northern Ireland. This offers a great opportunity to grow local supply chains and to position Northern Ireland as an exporter of affordable renewable energy.

“b4b Renewables stand ready to play our role in this sectoral collaboration, building on the recent collaboration with Ulster University and Geological Survey Northern Ireland to advance the renewable energy sector.”

Ryan welcomed the Minister’s foresight: “At b4b Renewables, we are a team of expert engineers with the experience and expertise required to integrate end-to-end renewable energy solutions and ensure that all applications are future-proofed for new renewable technologies.”

The Minister’s Action Plan highlights Northern Ireland’s strategic positioning, stating that Northern Ireland is ‘well positioned’ on an all-island basis, and within the UK and Europe, to become an “important player in the development of low carbon enabling technologies.”

The plan further emphasises the economic potential, noting that: “Supplying the goods and services to enable the global net-zero transition could be worth £1 trillion to UK businesses by 2030. Northern Ireland has unique access to both the EU and UK net zero markets.

You can read Ryan Daly’s full report on the ‘Decarbonisation of Heat in Northern Ireland’ here:

https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/gsni/events/heat-pump-event/GSN-Ryan-Daly-Daly-Renewables.pdf