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News
13 DECEMBER 2010
Strategic Environmental Assessment of Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan
The Irish government is belatedly moving to comply with the EU directive 2001 42/EC (The SEA Directive). The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has prepared a draft Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) and has requested that SEAI’s Ocean Energy Development Unit, working in close collaboration with the Marine Institute, undertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment “to evaluate the likely significant environmental effects of implementing plans to develop offshore renewable energy (offshore wind, wave and tidal) in Irish waters”.
The OREDP and Environmental Report were made available for public consultation from mid November 2010 for 8 weeks. Draft OREDP & Environmental Report This period of public consultation was subsequently extended by the Department of Communications Energy and Natural Resources to allow for publication of a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) during the month of February 2011 to inform the appropriate assessment of the OREDP. The Department’s website states:
The three documents (SEA Environmental Report, NIS and draft OREDP) will then be made available for comments and submissions by the public for a further period of not less than 4 weeks from the date of publication of the NIS by the Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources. Written submissions may be submitted either by email to oresseaconsultation@seai.ie or by post to SEA Consultation, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Wilton Park House, Wilton Place Dublin 2.
Major National Issue
Two of the biggest offshore wind farms in the world, involving up to 420 turbines, have already been permitted,10/12 km off county Wicklow on the sole authority of the Minister for the Marine with:
- No national plan for offshore renewable energy development
- No strategic environmental assessment
- No statutory involvement of local authorities
- No public right of appeal
These developments are the 520MW Arklow Bank Wind Park (approved by Minister Frank Fahey in 2002) and the 1100MW Codling Wind Park (approved by Minister Noel Dempsey in 2005). In addition to these two permitted projects, substantial amounts of offshore wind power are already well advanced, notably Dublin Array/Kish Bank, Dublin Bay (520MW); Oriel Windfarm, Dundalk Bay, (330MW); Sceirde Wind Farm, Galway (100MW).
How will the Irish government deal with these extensive offshore wind projects, permitted and progressing under outdated legislation and inadequate regulation?. Will the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan and Strategic Environmental Assessment simply serve to rubber stamp inappropriate decisions already taken? Or will Ireland’s beautiful, wildlife rich coastal zone be given the protection afforded to the coasts of other EU countries?
18 MARCH 2010
Ireland: EU Commission sends final warning over four breaches of environmental law
The European Commission is sending a final warning to Ireland over four cases where it has failed to comply with European Court of Justice rulings concerning illegal developments that may harm the natural and man made heritage of the countryside, access to justice (and public participation in decision making) and protection of marine mammals (whales, dolphins and porpoises)
29 JANUARY 2010
ESB rules out involvement in “more expensive” offshore wind generation
The ESB believes offshore wind generated electricity is more expensive than even nuclear technologies and will not enter that sector in the medium term
16 DECEMBER 2009
ESRI questions offshore wind subsidies (RTE1)
The ESRI has published an economic policy review on sourcing electricity needs from wind, and building and maintaining the transmission network to accommodate this.
7 DECEMBER 2009
Ireland and eight European countries agree on North Seas Wind Project
At the Energy Council today, Minister Eamon Ryan signed a political declaration on the North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative.
19 MARCH 2009
Small firms are looking to cash in big on green energy (The Scotsman)
“Small specialist companies are taking equity stakes in early stage renewable energy projects, gambling that they will enjoy a windfall long before earth is turned.” “ Joel Staadecker, SeaEnergy Chief Executive, said the resources needed to take an offshore wind farm to development stage are “small beer” compared with the construction phase, but the returns on investment are high.
5 JUNE 2008
Shell pulls out of key offshore wind farm project (Financial Times)
“Shell said on Wednesday it was seeking to sell its stake, while increasing its investment in onshore wind farms in the US”
30 MAY 2008
Vestas calls for greater focus on onshore wind (Business Green)
“Vestas, the world's largest manufacturer of turbines has today urged political leaders to focus on increasing capacity from onshore wind farms, amid warnings that the cost of installing offshore wind farms will continue to rise.”
29 MAY 2008
Offshore Wind Power: Capital Costs Will Continue to Rise (Cambridge Energy Research Associates)
“Supply chain bottlenecks and the resulting increases in capital costs for offshore wind power could create new challenges for Europe's target of generating 20 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2020, according to a new report by Cambridge Energy Research Associates. The report, Offshore Wind: It's Not a Breeze outlines the major factors affecting offshore wind investment in the next decade.”
12 MAY 2008
Ireland's Biodiversity a Multi-Billion Euro Asset (Dept Environment, Heritage & Local Government)
“By drawing a comparison between the value of ecosystem services provided by biodiversity and the cost of implementing biodiversity protection policies, the authors established a marginal value of biodiversity to Ireland of at least €2.6 billion per annum”
8 FEBRUARY 2008
“Measures announced by Minister Eamon Ryan today will unlock the potential of offshore wind energy in Ireland according to the National Offshore Wind Energy Association of Ireland. (NOW Ireland web site: Press releases)
8 FEBRUARY 2008
Minister launches new price support for offshore wind (DCENR)
“Minister Ryan announced the latest change to the REFIT scheme, which will support the development of offshore wind-power projects at a price of €140 per megawatt hour of power produced.”
14 FEBRUARY 2008
EU Nature Policy - Challenges in a changing world (EUROPA)
“2007 has been a remarkable year with environmental issues rising to the top of the EU's political agenda. Climate has grabbed the headlines but the loss of biodiversity is a global threat that is just as serious and needs to be faced with the same urgency. In one crucial way it is more worrying since there is no way to reverse extinction.” (Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas)