About Kestrel

Overview

Kestrel is more than an energy project it is a long-term national resilience asset.

Kestrel is a joint venture between ESB Generation and Trading (ESB GT), Bord Gáis Energy, and dCarbonX (an affiliate of Snam), created to deliver large-scale energy storage using proven infrastructure and private capital.

It fills a critical gap by supporting Ireland’s energy security today through gas storage and enabling a net-zero future through green energy storage.

Aligned with Government policy, and consistent with EU self-sustainability objectives, Kestrel is a cost-effective, technically viable national scale asset that strengthens long-term resilience.

It is a practical, ready-to-deploy solution that answers the precise risks identified in successive Government assessments. It is storage infrastructure that has existed, operated successfully in Ireland and continues to operate in the EU.

Purpose

The Kestrel mission is to repurpose the decommissioned Ballycotton gas field into a large-scale storage facility for natural gas and transition it to green energy storage (green hydrogen or biomethane) fully aligned with energy policy.

By combining subsurface data, proven technology, and trusted energy partners (ESB GT – Ireland’s largest electricity producer; Bord Gáis Energy – Ireland’s largest gas supplier and part of Centrica PLC, owner/operator of the largest gas storage operation in the UK; and dCarbonX, an affiliate of Snam, Europe’s largest gas storage and infrastructure operator), Kestrel provides a nationally significant, low-risk, privately funded solution that secures today’s system while enabling tomorrow’s.

Location

Utilises decommissioned, structurally verified gas field at Ballycotton, building on proven geological performance.
New and updated geological and technical data confirms technical viability and addresses all points raised in 2022 CEPA analysis in a N-1 event.

The geological storage model proposed has existed and operated successfully for decades and remains a core component of energy security infrastructure across the EU.

Offshore and underground, Kestrel provides the only multi-TWh long-duration storage solution capable of delivering the scale required for deep decarbonisation quietly, sustainably, and without community disruption.

Who’s behind it

Delivered by a consortium of established system operators with direct experience in developing, owning, and operating large-scale gas storage and energy infrastructure in Ireland, the UK, and across Europe.

All upfront capital and development expenditure is borne by the consortium (ESB GT, Bord Gáis Energy, and dCarbonX), with Government support focused on providing revenue stability through an agreed regulatory framework, rather than capital funding.

Kestrel fills that gap with:

Development and construction funded entirely through private capital
Existing, structurally verified infrastructure
New data confirming geological suitability
A consortium of leading energy system operators with proven track records in delivering and operating strategic gas storage and energy infrastructure across Ireland, the UK, and Europe

Timeline

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