Seven large offshore wind farms with a capacity to support three million homes are to be quickly pursued this year under a new maritime regulatory regime.
As part of a multibillion-euro investment program, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has invited requests from developers of six wind farms proposed for the Irish Sea and one off the west coast.
Under new powers, the first tranche of projects with fixed turbines can receive approval from the Minister, allowing them to be considered directly on Inboard Pleanála.
Provided they meet planning, environmental and financial requirements, it brings the prospect of starting generating power by 2027 – delivering three gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy to the grid.
The Irish Sea projects are Oriel Wind Park of Co Louth; two wind farms proposed by RWE in Bray and Kish Banks before Co Dublin, two wind farms built by Codling Wind Park before Co Wicklow and a development by the Northern Irish Sea Array Ltd before Co Meath in North Dublin. The West of Ireland wind farm is planned by Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta in front of Connemara, Co Galway.
“This is the right opportunity for our country to switch away from fossil fuels and set it up. [Russian president Vladimir] Putin, saying: “We will not use your gas in the future, we have our own [energy] Supply ‘, “Mr Ryan said at a briefing.
“More and more [electricity] Price is determined by renewable energy “instead of oil and gas, Mr Ryan added. As for costs for consumers, he said:” The more we build, the cheaper it becomes. “
Second Tranche
More than 200 million euros are to be invested in ports to facilitate offshore projects. In addition, deep sea facilities will be needed for the manufacture of large turbines associated with floating technology – with Cork Harbor and Shannon Estuary most likely to meet this requirement.
A second tranche of offshore wind farms is expected to bring capacity to 5GW by 2030. From next year, a new agency, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, will oversee projects that expand and locate increasingly floating turbines off the south and west coasts.
The reconfiguration of global energy and the end of dependence on Russian oil and gas means the scaling up of offshore wind, with Europe set to generate 300GW.
The grand prize, Mr Ryan predicted, would come in the 2030s, “if we generate more than 30 gigawatts of offshore wind … The conversion of that to hydrogen by electrolysis is increasingly seen as the solution that allows us have a modern economy, meet our climate goals and have energy security.
As Ireland has the potential to generate 10 times current electricity needs, it could become a major exporter of hydrogen, he said.
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