Current Energy Supply

Energy supply is the largest emissions category for the Isle of Man and accounts for
34% of total emissions.

Currently, around 84% of the Island’s electricity generated by Manx Utilities is from imported fossil fuels. Natural gas is imported via a spur in the gas interconnector connecting Scotland and Ireland and diesel is imported at Peel and Douglas. It should be noted that whilst the diesel generators now rarely run they provide the emergency backup capability. The interconnector cable is typically used to import around 9% of our electricity from the UK. Excluding imported fossil fuel-powered generation, our only Island energy generation comes from the Hydro Plant in the Sulby Glen and the Energy from Waste Plant.

Electricity demand is predicted to grow in the future, as more residents will move to use electricity to heat homes and to power cars. So without changing the source of electricity generation, it is not possible to reduce carbon emissions in other sectors, making electricity generation a crucial area of focus for the Island to reach net zero by 2050.

Isle of Man Future Energy Scenarios Report

The first strategic report highlighting five potential pathways to net zero for electricity generation on the Isle of Man has been completed in partnership with Ove Arup. A supporting information pack has been produced detailing the findings and the background to the findings.

A presentation on the outcomes of the report was delivered to members of Tynwald on 30 July 2021.

There were three controls on the project:

• The pathways must meet the emissions targets
• The scenarios must provide the most cost-effective pathway to achieve these targets, to ensure the principles of the Just Transition were followed
• The study must consider the balance of security of supply, low cost to consumers, and the environment

Ove Arup carried out independent, technical and economic modelling to create three scenarios based on technologies that were appropriate for the Isle of Man. They were assisted by a technical team consisting of representatives from the Climate Change Transformation Team, DEFA, DfE, Manx Utilities, Treasury and DOI, who provided relevant data and information on local factors throughout the process.

To achieve the Isle of Man Government’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions from electricity by 2050 and to guarantee the same level of service currently enjoyed, there are numerous areas that required investigation in terms of environmental benefit, security of supply, costs to consumers, maintenance of existing transmission network, diversity of supply and stable generation.

This required a unique solution, suitable for the Isle of Man, which took into account our current position.

The future energy scenarios have highlighted five possible pathways to deliver net zero emissions from electricity by 2050, which also meets the Government’s 2035 target of securing 75% of generation from renewable sources.

These scenarios were then used in the creation of the Energy Strategy 2023, developed by DEFA