Ireland’s Marine Institute is seeking approval to extend the Galway Bay marine energy test site which would allow it to feature a small scale floating offshore wind turbine.
A foreshore lease application has been made to Dublin’s environment department to expand the site to test “prototype marine renewable energy…at reduced scale”.
“The current lease application aims to allow for a wider range of devices to be tested for defined periods on the site, which would potentially include floating wind energy devices,” the Marine Institute said.
“There currently is interest from marine technology companies to test wave energy devices on the site, but have not yet had any request for testing prototype wind energy devices.”
It said that only one device for each technology could be deployed at any time with floating turbine tip heights pegged at a maximum of 35 metres.
A public consultation period will kick off in the coming weeks.
Image: the Hywind 1 floating turbine off Norway (Statoil)
Ireland floats turbine test bed
Foreshore lease application filed to extend Galway Bay marine site
By EBS