Oriel Windfarm Commences Offshore Site Surveys Off the Coast of Dundalk
Oriel Windfarm has commenced investigative works on the future offshore windfarm site off the coast of Dundalk following the granting of a license by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. The surveys are timely. The Government’s Climate Action Plan, set a target of 3.5GW of offshore wind for Ireland in the next decade, which will help renewables account for 70 percent of electricity generation by 2030.
The investigations will record specific wind data of the offshore site and data on the seabed conditions of the future site, needed mainly for the engineering design of the foundations for the wind turbines. The investigation works are scheduled to commence in August this year in close dialogue with the relevant stakeholders and the local community.
Peter Caluwaerts, project director, states: “The license to commence two important surveys marks another significant milestone in the Oriel Project. This allows us to add wind data gathering and soil data surveys to our already ongoing ecological surveys on the site. A buoy containing equipment that will measure the specific wind data of the Oriel offshore site for a year will be deployed in August this year. The soil investigation campaign is also due to start in August.
“The Climate Action Plan that came out earlier this week clearly highlights the need to advance on these works. With the support of our dedicated main shareholders Parkwind and ESB, it is our ambition to make Oriel Windfarm the first large scale offshore wind farm in Ireland, thus contributing to the wider goals of the Irish Government on energy transition.”
The Oriel offshore wind farm is in the development stage and is located approximately 22 km off the coast of Dundalk. It represents a significant investment in the decarbonisation of the Irish electricity system and represents a significant investment from both ESB and Parkwind. Development of the project began in 2003 and the original investors, many of whom are local to the area, secured an experienced and responsible development partner when Parkwind entered the project in September 2017. The addition of ESB to the joint venture further reinforces the parties commitment to successfully delivering this major investment in Ireland’s sustainable future.
