Surveys Starting on New Wind Project Offshore Ireland

Energia Group has selected surveying and data services company Green Rebel to carry out geophysical surveys for its proposed North Celtic Sea offshore wind farm off the coast of Waterford, Ireland.

Energia’s up to 800 MW North Celtic Sea project is one of the most advanced offshore wind projects in Ireland, the company said.

The surveys to be conducted by Green Rebel are under the foreshore license issued to Energia for this project by the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage in September 2021.

The surveys, which will be undertaken from April to May this year, will provide information on the seabed conditions and the ecology of the sea area. Both Energia and Green Rebel have stressed that the survey area will remain open to fishing during the surveys.

The data acquired should inform the future development of the project, helping Energia’s team to determine suitable locations within the survey area to locate infrastructure and to determine suitable foundation designs while ensuring minimal impact on wildlife and the environment.

“Combined, Energia’s North Celtic Sea and South Irish Sea projects could provide up to 1,600MW of renewable offshore wind power capable of generating enough green electricity to power over 1 million homes and avoid more than 2 million tonnes of carbon emissions,” said Peter Baillie, managing director of Energia Renewables.

The project will be located between 10 kilometres and 25 kilometres off the Waterford coast and if fully developed could power up to 500,000 homes.

“The North Celtic Sea project forms part of a multi-billion euro portfolio of investments by Energia as part of the company’s Positive Energy Programme for Ireland, creating jobs and economic benefit for coastal communities, and clean, green electricity on an ongoing basis into the future,” said Baillie.

Energia Group is also developing the South Irish Sea offshore project.

Located at a minimum of 10 kilometres and up to 25 kilometres off the coasts of Wexford and south Wicklow, the project is currently at the early stage of the environmental assessment process.

Back in 2019, Energia Group decided to implement a EUR 3 billion investment program in Ireland’s renewable sector, which included the offshore wind market as well.

According to the company, this is in line with the Government of Ireland’s Climate Action Plan to increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources from 30 per cent to 70 per cent by 2030, with at least 5 GW of offshore wind.

“Energia’s offshore wind projects can make a major contribution not just to Ireland’s offshore wind targets but to the decarbonisation of the economy and the requirement to halve our Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2030,” commented Baillie.

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