Niamh Kenny (SBM Offshore): “Northern Ireland is in a great position to benefit from the creation of an offshore wind industry” (source: SBM Offshore)
RenewableNI is to launch a report today (6 September 2022) highlighting the economic and environmental benefits of developing offshore windfarms in its waters
The report, The Clean Revolution – Building Northern Ireland’s Offshore Wind Industry, authored by consultants BVG Associates, sets out how the industry and government can work together to achieve 1.5 GW of electricity from offshore wind by 2032.
In addition to meeting enough clean electricity annually to power 1.6M homes, or 2.5M electric cars, The Clean Revolution report says £1.9Bn (US$2.2Bn) will be spent on Northern Irelands suppliers if 1.5 GW is developed.
Developing 1.5 GW of offshore wind will also result in a GVA of £2.4Bn and 1,500 new jobs in peak construction years with a total of 32,400 fulltime equivalent years across the lifetime of the projects. This much offshore wind capacity would also save over 49M tonnes of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of taking 1.2M cars off the road.
In December 2021, the Northern Ireland Executive issued a new energy strategy, The Path to Net Zero Energy, that included a renewable electricity target of at least 70% and a commitment to marine renewables, including offshore wind. That target was subsequently increased to 80%.
RenewableNI head Steven Agnew said, “The CleanRevolutionproposes ways we can work together tomaximise the economic benefits for Northern Ireland. This is a win-winfor the people here. By investing in therenewable electricityindustry,we directly benefit the local economy as well astacklingthe climate crisis.
“More electricity from renewable sources will push down the prices the consumers here are paying, something everyone cares about right now. It means more jobs and greater energy security.”
RenewableNI noted that Northern Ireland’s suppliers are already part of port side activities and foundation installation of offshore wind projects. It said the crossover with onshore wind ensures Northern Ireland suppliers are already part of this aspect of the logistics process.
RenewableNI offshore wind group chair Niamh Kenny, who is also project director for SBM Offshore’s North Channel Wind project, said, “Northern Ireland is in a great position to really benefit from the creation of an offshore wind industry. Those of us already in the industry are keen to collaborate with the government.
“Long-term projects will instil confidence in developers and suppliers and draw global focus and funds to Northern Ireland. Establishing a local enterprise hub, secondments between government employees and developers and central apprenticeship programmes is a draw for investing here. It has been a challenge for the industry to retain high-quality technicians. This is an area for up-skilling and employment growth.”
Mr Agnew concluded, “It is vital that we act now. By working together, the offshore wind industry and Northern Ireland Government can deliver a clean revolution in energy and economy.”
As highlighted by OWJ in May 2022, attendees at ‘Northern Ireland Focus on Offshore Wind – Emerging Opportunities,’ heard Northern Ireland is ideally placed to have an offshore wind industry and a floating wind industry in particular.
With world-class infrastructure such as Belfast Harbour and the Harland & Wolff fabrication yard, and a relatively benign offshore environment, Northern Ireland could potentially be one of the lowest cost regions to develop floating offshore wind in Europe. And, in the longer term, the province has the potential to benefit significantly industrially from the development of offshore windfarms in its own waters and those in the Celtic Sea and Ireland.
Until recently, the Department of Economy maintained that Northern Ireland’s coastline was not suitable for offshore wind development because of concerns about the ‘visual impact’ of potential sites. As a result, Northern Ireland was excluded from a 2019 offshore wind leasing round by the UK seabed authority The Crown Estate, but as Mr Agnew told OWJ, work is underway that could see it can be included in an allocation round (AR) as early as 2024.
“If you had asked me this time last year whether we might develop offshore wind in Northern Ireland, I’d have said no way,” said Mr Agnew, in May. “But a lot has changed in a short space of time.
“We clearly need inclusion in the Crown Estate leasing,” Mr Agnew said. “When we first spoke to The Crown Estate, there were a number of hurdles, things needed to be in place before Crown Estate would even look at us, but if we look at those things now, thanks to the work of the Department for Economy, thanks to the work of DAERA and SONI and others, those things are starting to get put in place.”
