€1bn wind farm in the pipeline
ENERGY companies Innogy and Saorgus have sought a foreshore licence to carry out surveys at Bray Bank and Kish Bank as part of plans to build a €1bn wind farm.
Work on the project, named ‘ The Dublin Array Offshore Wind Farm’, is expected to start in 2024, with a potential two-year construction period.
This all depends on various permissions being granted in the interim.
Dublin Array could consist of between 60100 turbines up to 250 metres tall to the tip of the rotor blade. The site is 2,440 hectares in size. It is located 10km off the coast and extends from Booterstown to Greystones.
At its height, during construction Dublin Array could see thousands of people working on the project.
The partnership plans to engage with stakeholders and communities during 2020.
AN application has been made for a foreshore licence for a €1 billion wind farm off the coast of Dublin, Bray and Greystones.
The plans are being made by German energy company Innogy and Irish company Saorgus, who applied to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for the licence last Wednesday, October 16. The project is known as ‘ The Dublin Array Offshore Wind Farm’ and the site extends from Booterstown to Greystones.
The ‘Dublin Array’ site is located on the Kish and Bray banks, 10 kilometres from the coast and spanning 2,440 hectares. The capital investment is expected to be more than €1 billion. Dublin Array could consist of between 60-100 turbines up to 250 metres tall to the tip of the rotor blade.
At its height, during construction Dublin Array could see thousands of people working on the project
If permitted, the licence would allow completion of surveys, not permission for construction.
The applicants expect to submit an application for planning permission in early 2021. Saurgus had previously un-progressed plans for 145 turbines at the site, dating to 2013, with Innogy having bought a 50 per cent stake last year. Saurgus carried out technical and environmental studies on the Kish and Bray banks after being granted licences in 2002.
Subject to achieving a number of consenting milestones, the start of construction is expected in 2024, with a potential two-year construction period.
The partnership plans to engage with stakeholders and communities during 2020. Innogy is investigating the availability of suitable ports to be used during the construction and subsequent operations if the wind farm proceeds.
The permission they are currently looking for will allow developers to undertake further surveys of the sea bed and to install buoy mounted equipment to provide data on weather and sea conditions.
The information collected will be used to progress the engineering design and to inform the ongoing environmental assessments required as part of the consent process.
Developers expect the wind farm to deliver 17 per cent to 21 per cent of the government mimumum target of 3.5GW offshore electricity by 2030, as wet out in the Climate Action Plan 2019.