The Irish wind energy industry is set to create 1100 new jobs by the end of the decade bringing the total number of people employed in the sector to 5500.
A new survey of 150 energy companies has signaled a growing confidence in the industry as it undergoes a significant ramp up in construction activity.
The Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) will release the study at its annual autumn conference in Killarney today.
It said the jobs will support the building of over 1.6GW of new onshore wind which represents over €2.5bn in new investment.
IWEA chairman Peter Harte said Ireland has an “exciting opportunity” to harness its “uniquely abundant” wind resource.
“Clean energy such as wind will also play a key role in reducing Ireland’s huge dependency on fossil fuel energy imports and in continuing to attract lucrative data centre developments to Ireland, along with their own significant employment opportunities,” he said.
Over 40% of the jobs in the sector are outside Dublin with around 1000 people employed in operational and engineering roles.
However, of the 150 companies surveyed some 30% said they had concerns about a potential skills shortage in the workforce.
Among the 150 companies surveyed as part of the study were Bord Na Mona, Brookfield Renewables, Coillte, Ecopower, Enercon, Energia, ESB, Gaelectric, GE, Nordex, Siemens, SSE and Vestas.
Image: turbine installation at Energia’s Meenadreen wind farm in Donegal (reNEWS)
Irish wind spurs jobs boost
1100 new roles to be filled by 2020 as part of 1.6GW build programme
By EBS