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Ireland’s offshore wind at risk from port blind spot

Published in: Wind, Talking Point, Exclusive Articles

Ireland’s offshore wind at risk from port blind spot image

Ireland has the resources to become a major exporter of clean energy, but without urgent investment in specialised seaports, its offshore wind targets are slipping out of reach. Bantry Bay’s Leahill Port could play a pivotal role in bridging this critical infrastructure gap and securing Ireland’s place in Europe’s renewable future.

Ireland’s maritime zone extends to nearly ten times its land area, offering an abundance of offshore wind energy potential. This is particularly so in areas suitable for floating turbine deployment, with available resources estimated to be more than 70 GW. Perhaps more so than anywhere else within the EU, Ireland can become a significant energy exporter, either exporting electricity directly or creating new industrial clusters based on newly abundant power.

The Irish government was one of nine co-signatories of the Dublin Declaration in September 2022, which committed our country to generating 5 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030.

In March 2023, a government report on Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) found that at least four specialised port facilities will be required, at strategic locations around Ireland, if our country is to maximise its offshore wind ambitions. The report concluded that these four port facilities must each have the capacity to marshal and deploy at least 500 MW of offshore wind turbines per annum, if Ireland is to meet its 2030 targets.

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