Ireland’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has laid out 40 actions to develop the country’s offshore wind sector by 2025.
Powering Prosperity – Ireland’s Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy, the first strategy of its kind for Ireland, aims to build a successful, vibrant and impactful offshore wind energy industry.
The plan aims to ensure the sector creates as much value as possible throughout Ireland and maximises the economic benefits associated with government ambitions to deliver its 2030, 2040 and 2050 offshore wind targets.
Powering Prosperity includes 40 actions that will be implemented in 2024 and 2025.
These actions aim to build a strong and resilient offshore wind supply chain in Ireland, as well as exploring opportunities for Irish companies to play a major role in the development of offshore wind projects in Ireland and abroad.
It also explores opportunities to leverage Ireland’s existing strengths in RD&I, finding ways to support the sector to reach the cutting edge of future developments in offshore wind.
In the longer term, the strategy will consider routes to market for Ireland’s abundant clean renewable energy, as well as assessing regional development opportunities in areas central to the production of offshore wind energy.
The strategy was developed as part of close ongoing collaboration between the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and other government departments and agencies within the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce.
Ireland’s wind energy industry has welcomed the publication.
Chief executive of Wind Energy Ireland Noel Cunniffe said: “Offshore wind farms will cut our carbon emissions and make Ireland energy independent.
“But they also represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for this country. Achieving Ireland’s 2050 offshore wind energy targets could be worth at least €38bn to the Irish economy and today’s strategy puts renewable energy at the heart of Ireland’s economic future.
“We want to work with Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney (pictured) to make sure that, as much as possible, the benefits from our offshore wind revolution stay in Ireland, creating Irish jobs, supporting local businesses and revitalising our coastal communities.”