A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to begin development on
a large-scale offshore wind farm in the north Irish Sea, which could
end with a 870 MW wind farm. The project will commence with a 15 MW demonstration project, but Oriel Windfarm and Gaelectric Holdings, the two developers who signed the Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU), hope that the project could produce up to 870 MW of wind energy.
The project will initiate with an investment of €80m (£57m) investment
into the 15 MW demonstration project. The Oriel Windfarm could initiate a huge kick into Ireland’s wind
energy industry, which is relatively small, especially when compared to
its available resources. The Irish Government’s Offshore Renewable
Energy Development Plan, published in 2014, revealed that the country
has the potential to generate up to 10,000 MW of renewable energy from
offshore wind energy.
“This project represents the biggest step forward for the Irish
offshore wind energy sector in the last ten years,” said Brian Britton,
Managing Director of Oriel Windfarm. “NISA will commence with a
significant demonstration project which, by their nature, draw
investment and attract collaborations with local universities and
provide opportunities for local businesses. Demonstration projects in
the UK, Germany and Denmark have led to the development of full scale
projects, leading to the creation of many thousands of jobs in those
countries.”
“Offshore wind speeds, relatively shallow water depth and favourable
sea bed conditions, make the Irish Sea an ideal location for offshore
wind projects and as a testing ground for offshore wind technologies,”
added Brendan McGrath, CEO of Gaelectric Holdings. “The presence of a
number of established ports on the east coast of Ireland is also a
factor which will help attract investment to Ireland. We are confident
that the project will attract leading industry players to the offshore
Irish market and will be an important step towards realising the vast
potential for renewable generation from the Irish Sea.”
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/10/demonstration-offshore-wind-project-destined-ireland/