SSE Ireland joined Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton TD, along with industry representatives, climate change experts and others, for Energy Ireland’s Renewable Energy Summit in Croke Park, Dublin on Tuesday 12 February.
Hosted by Energy Ireland, the annual event’s latest edition looked at where Ireland is in terms of delivering renewable energy to meet its climate commitments. Representatives from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) presented an overview of Ireland’s renewable energy outlook, noting Ireland is doing well on renewable electricity, with over 90% of our renewables being generated from wind.
There is growing support for offshore wind in Ireland, and this was emphasised by speakers throughout the day who were encouraged to hear both the Government and the Regulator say they recognise the opportunity offshore presents and will work towards implementing the policy needed to realise it.
Presenting at the summit, SSE Ireland Head of Corporate Affairs Marian Troy highlighted the potential of Ireland’s offshore wind resources by saying:
“Ireland has a real opportunity to make a step change in delivering renewable capacity if we embrace our offshore wind potential. Our seabed is one of the largest in Europe; more than 10 times the size of our land mass – we need to develop our offshore resources to support Ireland's economy and to decouple economic growth and emissions. What Ireland lacks is a policy framework to support offshore wind. There is currently no clear route to market, process to get an offshore grid connection, or facilitative planning environment. The EU has agreed a 32% renewable energy target by 2030. Offshore wind is an enabling technology for Ireland's path towards decarbonisation and we need to invest now to avoid penalties later.”