Marta Val Escudero discusses Ireland’s energy landscape, the technologies impacting the sector and how we are working towards net zero targets.
Growing up in her native Spain Marta Val Escudero, Models and Methods Manager at Eirgrid, was in no doubt about the direction she wanted her life and career to take.
“I’ve always had an interest in STEM,” she told SiliconRepublic.com. “When I was young, I was fascinated by math and physics and it helped that I was good at them in school. My dad tried to steer me toward architecture, but I wanted to do something different and engineering ticked all the right boxes for me.”
After finishing her education and graduating with a degree in engineering from the University of Zaragoza, Spain, Val Escudero wanted to see the world, develop her skills and advance her career in the energy sector, so she made the decision to move to Ireland, where she would eventually take up a position with Eirgrade Ireland.
“I have worked over the past 18 years in many different technical roles, from planning new generation and demand connections, to implementing innovative simulation tools at the National Control Centre. It is a very exciting, challenging and rewarding job, where I can see real positive outcomes that contribute to a clean and sustainable energy future in Ireland.”
Ireland’s energy landscape
According to Val Escudero, “we are in the midst of a huge transformation in the energy sector and innovation and new technologies are at its core.
“There is innovation in all areas of the business, from the technology used to generate electricity, which is moving away from traditional synchronous generators in thermal power plants burning fossil fuels, such as coal, to very efficient and sophisticated forms of generation.
She explained that in the future, Ireland’s economy and society as a whole will rely much more on electricity generated from renewables. While recent growth has been largely driven by industry, further electrification of the heat and transport sectors is likely to have a significant impact on innovation later in the decade.
“Ireland’s transition to a renewable-led electricity system is underway, with Eirgrid launching an unprecedented programme of new grid infrastructure projects, reinforcements and upgrades across the country to ensure our electricity system can continue to support increasing amounts of renewable energy.”
She further explained that the modelling and simulation work will be critical to understanding the operational challenges and opportunities that arise as Ireland moves towards a society that uses higher levels of renewable electricity. “In addition, it will support greater energy independence, security and economic growth at national and local levels,” said Val Escudero.
The net zero movement
Having recently received the prestigious 2025 Excellence Award for her outstanding contributions to the renewable energy sector, the green transition, in light of future net zero targets, is incredibly important to Val Escudero. She noted how much she should be recognised and also the importance of placing Ireland at the heart of energy system development across the world.
“It also brings awareness to the growing role that proper and accurate modeling and simulation plays in the energy transition. The complexity of modern energy systems requires dynamic models and improved simulation tools to ensure safe and reliable operations as we transition to net zero emissions.”
“Eirgrid is playing a central role in Ireland’s efforts to reduce emissions and achieve our climate goals, working to ensure that 80pc of Ireland’s electricity comes from renewable sources, in line with government targets. This involves many cross-sectoral challenges.”
She added, by advancing the tools and methods needed to address the complexities of renewable energy, industry participants can ensure that modern energy systems remain resilient, flexible, and capable of handling increasing levels of clean energy produced by wind and solar resources .
“Electricity is a fundamental part of our daily lives and a key economic driver on a global scale. Ensuring our electricity supply is reliable, safe and secure is essential for everyone, without a doubt, but ensuring it is clean and sustainable is what makes working in this sector so exciting and rewarding.”
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