Editing Geography of Ireland (section)

====Hydroelectric power====
[[File:Lough Nahanagan.jpg|thumb|The lower reservoir of the [[Turlough Hill]] pumped-storage scheme|alt=See caption]]
The first [[Shannon hydroelectric scheme]] was constructed in 1929 within seven years of independence. Built by [[Siemens-Schuckert]] with Irish engineers doing much of the design and using mostly Irish labour, it has an 86&nbsp;MW capacity and has an annual generation capacity of 332&nbsp;[[GWh]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ardnacrusha |publisher=[[ESB Group]] |year=2023 |url=https://esbarchives.ie/portfolio/river-shannon/ |access-date=30 December 2023 |archive-date=16 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616174254/https://esbarchives.ie/portfolio/river-shannon/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This was followed up by the much larger [[Turlough Hill Power Station]], the only pumped-storage built into a mountain with a capacity of 292&nbsp;MW. It was completed in 1974 after 6 years of construction.<ref>{{cite web |title=Turlough Hill |publisher=[[ESB Group]] |year=2023 |url=https://esbarchives.ie/portfolio/turlough-hill/ |access-date=30 December 2023 |archive-date=16 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616190526/https://esbarchives.ie/portfolio/turlough-hill/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A few other smaller hydroelectric stations exist around the Republic of Ireland, such as [[Poulaphouca Reservoir|Pollaphuca]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Pollaphuca |publisher=[[ESB Group]] |year=2023 |url=https://esbarchives.ie/portfolio/river-liffey/ |access-date=30 December 2023 |archive-date=16 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616170811/https://esbarchives.ie/portfolio/river-liffey/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Inniscarra Dam]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Inniscarra |publisher=[[ESB Group]] |year=2023 |url=https://esbarchives.ie/portfolio/river-lee/ |access-date=30 December 2023 |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230171728/https://esbarchives.ie/portfolio/river-lee/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Catherine Halpin, Ardnacrusha's plant manager, suggests the four main hydro plants are availing of about 70% of the country's water resources.<ref>{{cite web |last=Doyle |first=Carmel |title=Ireland's Ardnacrusha hydro-electric power station – a clean-tech exemplar? |work=Innovation |publisher=[[Silicon Republic]] |date=14 August 2012 |url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/irelands-ardnacrusha-hydro-electric-power-station-a-clean-tech-exemplar |access-date=30 December 2023 |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230171727/https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/irelands-ardnacrusha-hydro-electric-power-station-a-clean-tech-exemplar |url-status=live }}</ref>

A tidal energy system is in operation since 2008 in [[Strangford Lough#Tidal electricity|Strangford Lough]] producing 1.2&nbsp;MW using an underwater windmill, whose rotors at driven by the tidal currents. The power is bought for ESB Independent's Republic and Northern Ireland consumers. The system has a capacity to produce enough electricity for about 1,000 homes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tidal energy system on full power |work=Northern Ireland News |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=18 December 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7790494.stm |access-date=30 December 2023 |archive-date=16 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216212124/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7790494.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Also in Northern Ireland, an [[Evopod#1kW Evopod sea testing, Portaferry, Northern Ireland|Evopod tidal energy system]] has been tested and connected to the Marine Laboratory of [[Queen's University Belfast]] that should be connected to the electric grid.<ref>{{Cite journal |author1=Jeffcoate, Penny |author2=Starzmann, Ralf |author3=Elsaesser, Bjoern |author4=Scholl, Stefan |author5=Bischoff, Sarah |title=Field measurements of a full scale tidal turbine |journal=International Journal of Marine Energy |volume=12 |pages=3–20 |publisher=Elsevier |date=December 2015 |issn=2214-1669 |doi=10.1016/j.ijome.2015.04.002 |bibcode=2015IJME...12....3J |url=https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/cf8a9f81-0499-4c25-affc-5ce6b6612947 |access-date=14 May 2024 |archive-date=25 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240825183749/https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/field-measurements-of-a-full-scale-tidal-device |url-status=live }}</ref>