Thomas Lyons 
A new report by Wind Energy Ireland has warned that the Republic of Ireland may miss out on offshore wind investments as the only fully equipped port on the island is in Belfast. The report urged the Irish government to invest in offshore wind developments to avoid losing out on the “economic opportunity”. According to the report, several ports, including Rosslare, Cork Dockyard, and Shannon-Foynes, have plans to expand their port infrastructure so they can be used to build offshore wind farms, but these improvements require significant amounts of investment. The report warned that without ramped-up investment into the sector, Ireland will miss its 2030 climate targets, developers will look elsewhere to build wind farms, and the country will lose potential jobs.
Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, said, “We do not have a single port in the Irish Republic capable of being used to build an offshore wind farm and while Belfast Harbour is an outstanding facility, we cannot simultaneously build all of the offshore wind farms that we need from a single location.” He added, “Instead of growing jobs in Wexford, Cork, and Limerick, our wind farms will be creating employment in Britain and France.”
The report suggested that government grants, such as the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (Isif), could facilitate early stage funding, leading to projects availing of both Isif’s commercial investment alongside EU-backed Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) competitive funding tool. Wind Energy Ireland also argued that government involvement in offshore renewable energy infrastructure would increase confidence in the sector and reduce the risk associated with the port projects, making private investors more attracted to these developments. Paul Doherty, executive director of Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions, said, “Support from the Irish Government would de-risk upfront investment and could plug any funding gaps.” He added, “This support could be in the form of direct funding from the Exchequer, a low-interest loan scheme, or access to funding vehicles such as Isif and the European Investment Bank.”
The report, titled “We can build them: Supporting Irish ports to build offshore wind farms,” was published weeks after the Irish government introduced new regulations that could become further stumbling blocks for offshore wind targets to be met by 2030. One of the new regulations requires that all future offshore wind farms must be built in Designated Marine Areas, which have yet to be identified and may not be for 18 to 24 months.
In conclusion, the report highlights the urgent need for the Irish government to invest in offshore wind developments to avoid losing out on the “economic opportunity”. The government can facilitate early stage funding through government grants, such as the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (Isif), leading to projects availing of both Isif’s commercial investment alongside EU-backed Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) competitive funding tool. Government involvement in offshore renewable energy infrastructure will increase confidence in the sector and reduce the risk associated with the port projects, making private investors more attracted to these developments. Failure to invest in the sector could lead to Ireland missing its 2030 climate targets, developers looking elsewhere to build wind farms, and the country losing potential jobs.
