Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of providing electricity to power the Limerick-based Aughinish Alumina plant as a result of the Single Electricity Market on (a) Russia's war against Ukraine and (b) the UK's (i) foreign, defence and security policy in relation to Russia and Ukraine and (ii) defence standing in the wider international community; and what discussions he has had with the Republic of Ireland, Ukraine, the European Union and the United States on that matter.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy policy is devolved in Northern Ireland, with the Northern Ireland Executive responsible for its own policy decisions.
We trade electricity between Great Britain and the Single Electricity Market on the Island of Ireland over interconnectors. Interconnector flows are driven by relative market prices, with trades occurring anonymously at the market level, not specific to an energy user such as the Aughinish Alumina plant. The Government has therefore not assessed flows to individual sites.
Interconnectors support our energy security by providing access to a more diverse pool of generation and enhancing our security of supply.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the amount of electricity generated in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK that could be used to power the Aughinish Alumina plant in Limerick under the Single Electricity Market; and what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of such a transfer of electricity on the UK's (a) foreign, defence and security policy in relation to Russia and Ukraine and (b) standing in the wider international community.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy policy is devolved in Northern Ireland, with the Northern Ireland Executive responsible for its own policy decisions.
We trade electricity between Great Britain and the Single Electricity Market on the Island of Ireland over interconnectors. Interconnector flows are driven by relative market prices, with trades occurring anonymously at the market level, not specific to an energy user such as the Aughinish Alumina plant. The Government has therefore not assessed flows to individual sites.
Interconnectors support our energy security by providing access to a more diverse pool of generation and enhancing our security of supply.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what policy reason the Contracts for Difference (Sustainable Industry Rewards and Contract Budget Notice Amendments) Regulations 2026 do not apply to Northern Ireland; and what relevant legislation applies to Northern Ireland instead.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In June 2022, following consideration of integrating Northern Ireland (NI) into the Great Britain Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, former BEIS and Department for Economy (DfE) Ministers agreed that NI DfE would develop their own scheme with some advisory support from UK government. In September 2025, DfE published the Final Scheme Design for the Renewable Electricity Price Guarantee (REPG) scheme. Ports and factories in Northern Ireland remain eligible for the Clean Industry Bonus part of the CfD.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much electricity has been moved from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 financial years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Quarterly electricity transfers from Scotland to Northern Ireland are published in Energy Trends table 5.6.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what is the value of environmental/carbon border charges that have applied to the movement of electricity from Great Britain to Northern Ireland as a result of moving from Great Britain, located in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, into Northern Ireland, located in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme for the purpose of electricity, as mandated by Article 9 and Annex 4 of the Windsor Framework, for each of the last four financial years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism does not apply in Northern Ireland and there are therefore no carbon border charges Great Britain-Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2025 to Question 31221 on Carbon Emissions: UK Trade with EU, if he will make a comparative estimate of the potential impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the price of electricity in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain after 1 January 2026.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 28 February 2025 to Question 31221
The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is in an implementation period until January 2026 and applies to exports of electricity to the EU but not electricity for the UK market. The EU Commission has said that it intends to finalise the regulation via legislation over 2025. It remains difficult to conduct an accurate assessment of any potential impacts.
The UK will continue to engage closely with the EU as it finalises the CBAM and will continue to raise the need for clarity on the practical implementation of the CBAM for trade in electricity, given the challenges involved. Alongside this, to support business readiness for the EU CBAM, the Department for Business and Trade offers a comprehensive support package through business.gov.uk, signposting to relevant European Commission resources.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what consideration he has given to including the electricity imported to Northern Ireland through the Moyle interconnector to Northern Ireland's renewable targets.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy policy is a transferred matter in Northern Ireland, falling within the legislative competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive. Accordingly, the setting and defining of renewable energy targets is a matter for the relevant Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.
Electricity interconnectors, such as the Moyle interconnector, can provide a number of benefits including: enabling access to lower-cost electricity; enhancing security of supply; supporting decarbonisation; and increasing system flexibility.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make a comparative assessment of the potential impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism introduced by Regulation (EU) 2023/956 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on the price of electricity in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain after 1 January 2026.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is in an implementation period until January 2026 and applies to exports of electricity to the EU but not electricity for the UK market. The EU Commission has said that it intends to finalise the regulation via legislation over 2025. It remains difficult to conduct an accurate assessment of any potential impacts.
The UK will continue to engage closely with the EU as it finalises the CBAM and will continue to raise the need for clarity on the practical implementation of the CBAM for trade in electricity, given the challenges involved.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund will be reopening for applications.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
In the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government committed £163 million to continue delivery for all current projects in Phases 1 and 2 and the first Phase 3 competition window of the IETF (Spring 2024) through to completion.
Ministers are considering opportunities to support UK industry to decarbonize and reach Net Zero as part of the Spending Review. Further announcements will be made in due course.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much and what proportion of the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund was allocated to projects in Northern Ireland; and whether he plans to provide funding for green hydrogen generation in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, launched in 2022, aims to support the commercial deployment of new low carbon hydrogen production projects during the 2020s. Through strands one and two of this scheme, two projects in Northern Ireland have been offered a total of £5.1m in funding following successful applications through a competitive process. Total expenditure for the fund is yet to be finalised.
Further support for hydrogen production is being delivered through Hydrogen Allocation Rounds.