WHY OFFSHORE WIND
IN IRELAND?
TAPPING INTO THE ENERGY
RESOURCE AT SEA
Ireland has strong and consistent offshore wind resources which are among the best in Europe. Offshore wind will play a significant role in decarbonising electricity generation and will become a backbone of the future Irish energy system providing large, reliable and secure energy generation.
UTILISING THE CAPACITY IN THE EXISTING GRID INFRASTRUCTURE...
Sites are selected to connect to strong points in the grid close to where the energy is needed, utilising existing grid capacity and reducing the need for expanding or building new grid infrastructure.
ENABLING THE GREEN ECONOMY...
Large scale clean renewable energy provided by offshore wind will open up opportunities in the green economy such as green hydrogen generation, the decarbonisation of heating, industry and electricity generation, alternative transport fuels for haulage, public transport, aviation and shipping, and green industrial chemicals and fertilisers.
LARGE INVESTMENT IN IRELAND...
Significant international and local investment opportunities into Ireland that are used for developing, constructing and operating the large offshore wind farms. Combined capital investment in the proposed projects will amount to more than 12 billion Euro.
SIGNIFICANT
NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES...
Creation of large amounts of new jobs during construction and operational phases of the projects. Creating opportunities for acquiring the skills needed in the carbon neutral economy. More than 30,000 jobs will be created during the construction phase of the proposed projects.
MEETING KEY GOVERNMENT TARGETS...
Helping the Irish government meet their green objectives and targets.
• 5GW offshore wind by 2030
• Up to 80% renewable electricity by 2030
• 30GW offshore floating wind post-2030
• Carbon neutral economy by 2050
INNOVATION OPPORTUNITY...
Chance for innovation and education leadership with the development of floating foundation technology. Local companies, academic and research institutions have the capacity to drive these developments and to collaborate with others to transfer this knowledge around the world.
AVOID COMPETING LAND USE...
Large scale offshore electricity generation as opposed to multiple land-based projects allows current land-based activities to continue or for lands to be conserved or used for other purposes.
