Ireland and UK Expand Energy Cooperation with New Agreement

Ireland and the UK have signed a major extension to their energy partnership, reinforcing joint efforts to tackle climate change and boost energy security across both islands.

Climate and Energy Minister Darragh O’Brien and UK Climate Minister Kerry McCarthy signed the expanded Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Dublin today. It builds on a 2023 agreement focused on offshore renewables and electricity interconnection and now adds fresh areas of cooperation.

These include:

• Joint approaches to cutting industrial emissions while protecting competitiveness
• A shared focus on warmer, more energy-efficient homes
• Ensuring communities benefit from energy infrastructure
• Scaling up hydrogen transmission and storage networks

The new measures stem from commitments made at the first UK-Ireland Summit in March, where leaders agreed to deepen cooperation on energy and climate.

“This deal strengthens one of our most important energy relationships,” said Minister O’Brien. “As we face global instability, from war to climate extremes, working closely with trusted neighbours like the UK is more important than ever.”

Minister McCarthy added: “This is about delivering clean, secure, homegrown energy and ending dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets.”

The agreement comes at a time of rising climate urgency, with last month recorded as the hottest June ever in western Europe.

The MoU continues the momentum of two agreements signed last September, covering electricity interconnection, renewables, hydrogen, and natural gas security.