Offshore wind is one of the most reliable sources of power. It involves the conversion of wind to power without the emission of harmful greenhouse gas. In the fight against climate change, offshore wind power is crucial in generating electricity.
In addition to being a cost-efficient and clean energy source, the good part about offshore wind is that it is an infinite and renewable source of energy.
Seven offshore projects invited to apply for Maritime Area Consents
In March 2022, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in Ireland, Eamon Ryan, sent out applications from some of the developers of the offshore wind projects.
Some of these projects were tagged as the “relevant projects” in 2022. These projects include Oriel Wind Park, Codling Wind Park I and II, RWE’s Bray and Kish Banks, Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta, and North Irish Sea Array.
It is projected that these seven large offshore wind farms would be able to provide three million homes with power.
With the new powers in place, the first part of the projects with fixed turbines will be able to get permission from the Minister for the Environment to grant them a smooth passage to An Bord Pleanala. Once these projects fulfil the financial, planning and environmental requirements, generating 3 gigawatts of power by 2027 looks more feasible.
Oriel Wind Park (ESB and Parkwind)
The Oriel Wind Park project, also known as the Oriel Windfarm project, was instituted to create offshore wind farms in Ireland. It is the first commercial wind farm in the Irish Sea, near County Louth, with a capacity of 370 MW. It is co-developed and managed by Parkwind NV and ESB.
Codling Wind Park
A projected offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea (Codling Bank), developed by Codling Wind Park Limited, a 50/50 partnership between Fred Olsen Seawind and EDF Renewables. It covers an area of around 125 sq km, with roughly 140 turbines proposed at up to 16 MW each, and a combined output of around 21 GW across both partner projects.
Skerd Rocks (Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta)
An offshore wind project initially developed by Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta in Ireland and acquired by Green Investment Group (GIG) in 2021. It is projected to power around 295,000 homes and offset 457 kilotonnes of carbon annually.
Dublin Array (Kish Banks and Bray Banks)
In July 2020, RWE absorbed Innogy SE’s 50% stake, with Saorgus Energy holding the remaining 50% and RWE leading development. The site sits around 10 km from the Dublin and Wicklow coast, with an installed capacity of 600 to 900 MW.
The goal of the offshore wind projects in Ireland
Minister Eamon Ryan has framed the projects as Ireland’s opportunity to stop using fossil fuels and produce its own renewable energy. More than €200 million is to be invested in ports for offshore projects, with a second-phase target of 5 GW by 2030. Ireland could even become a notable hydrogen exporter in the future.
Conclusion
Ireland is the global leader in onshore wind energy, drawing around 40% of its total electricity from wind. Offshore wind levels are lower than onshore, which doubles the potential to expand electricity supply. Health and safety professionals are pivotal, and Coyle Group offers technical consultancy and operational support for offshore wind projects.