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A senior research officer with the ESRI has said nobody can say for certain that power blackouts can be avoided this winter, adding that if there are to be interruptions to demand, they will certainly happen at peak times. Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Dr Muireann Lynch said supply on the system has been the…

On a flat piece of land in west Dublin, 96 black container like structures sit in perfectly straight rows. A persistent hum is the only indicator of the electronic equipment packed inside. Each cube is a battery storage unit, full of small lithium-ion batteries, just like the ones you find in your mobile phone. The…

The euro rebounded back above parity with the dollar today as the US currency’s recent rally ran out of steam. Investors are waiting to see whether Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell would sound a more hawkish tone at a meeting this week. A more bullish mood across markets also helped the euro, as well as…

The German economy grew in the second quarter, propped up by household and government spending and beating analyst expectations that saw it on the edge of a downturn, data showed today. Europe’s largest economy grew by 0.1% quarter on quarter and 1.7% on the year, adjusted for price and calendar effects, the federal statistics office…

The commercial vacancy rate across the country reached 13.9% in the second quarter of this year, up 0.25% on the same period last year. This is the highest level recorded by GeoDirectory since it began reporting on the rates in 2013. There were 29,241 vacant commercial units recorded across Ireland in the second quarter, a…

The euro remained under pressure amid growing recession fears fuelled by a possible energy supply crunch this morning, but the US dollar recouped some data-inspired losses. Disappointing US services and manufacturing surveys and a plunge in new home sales saw the dollar take a breather, after a run that pushed the dollar to its strongest…

Another dramatic spike in natural gas prices appears to have ended any hopes that Europe’s inflation battle is set to ease. Financial markets are now bracing for higher prices, a faster pace of interest rate hikes and a deeper economic downturn. Just a few weeks ago, signs that inflation in the US – which tends…

The main retail banks, An Post Money and Credit Unions have opened 365,000 personal current accounts so far this year, as customers of Ulster Bank and KBC Bank Ireland continue switching providers ahead of the exit of the two banks from the Irish market. The figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) show that…

Wholesale prices and the price of raw materials for manufacturing businesses rose at an annual rate of 6.2% in July, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office. However, the price of food ingredients, construction materials and energy all rose significantly more. Overall, food product ingredients rose 10.8% in the year to July,…

Oil rose today as renewed concerns over tight supply dominated market sentiment after Saudi Arabia warned that the major oil producer could cut output to correct a recent oil price decline. Brent crude gained 42 cents, or 0.4%, to $96.90 a barrel in early trade, after a choppy session yesterday when they dropped by more…