Wind energy was the largest contributor to Ireland’s electricity mix in April, accounting for just under 40% of total generation, according to provisional data from EirGrid.

Overall, renewables supplied 48% of electricity demand during the month, marking the third consecutive month in which clean energy sources covered around half of Ireland’s power consumption.

Wind leads, solar continues rapid growth

According to EirGrid, wind generation reached 38% of total electricity production in April, maintaining its position as the backbone of Ireland’s renewable electricity system.

Grid-scale solar also continued to expand its role, contributing 6% of electricity generation. This compares with just 0.9% in April 2025, highlighting the rapid scale-up of solar capacity on the Irish system.

In total, wind and large-scale solar generated 1,078 GWh and 163 GWh respectively during the month, up from 761 GWh and 119 GWh in the same period last year.

Renewables reach half of demand for third straight month

EirGrid data shows that renewables supplied 48% of total electricity demand in April, continuing a trend seen in February and March where renewable generation also reached around half of consumption.

Gas-fired generation accounted for 35% of electricity, while 16% was imported via interconnectors from neighbouring markets.

Total system demand during the month stood at 2,865 GWh, down from 3,142 GWh in March.

Record solar output highlights system shift

April also saw a new milestone for solar power in Ireland, with grid-scale solar exceeding 1 GW of output for the first time.

New peak records were set on 20, 24 and 25 April, reaching up to 1,133 MW, according to EirGrid. The system operator estimates that 1 GW of solar capacity can power around 500,000 customers.

The record is attributed to the growing deployment of large-scale solar farms connected to the Irish grid.

System flexibility and future targets

EirGrid noted that its system can already accommodate up to 75% of electricity from variable renewable sources such as wind and solar at any given time. Work is ongoing to increase this threshold to 95%, as Ireland continues to expand renewable integration.

Diarmaid Gillespie, Director of System Operations at EirGrid, said it was “positive to see” renewables close to half of electricity generation for a third consecutive month, highlighting wind’s continued dominance alongside the “noteworthy” growth of solar as the system moves into the summer period.