Target Set To Have Offshore Floating Wind Turbines Operational By 2030

It's hoped offshore floating wind turbines will be operating in Ireland by the end of the decade. The concept allows wind turbines to be constructed on floating devices, which are then anchored to the seabed by cables.

Already a number of wind farm projects are in the pipeline for off the coast of Wicklow.

The Codling Wind Park project between Greystones and Wicklow Town, is in its pre-application consultation stage but if given the go ahead  it’s expected to have capacity to generate up to 1,500 megawatts of electricity, enough to power the equivalent of 1.2 million homes.

The project is forecast to cost around €2 billion.

SSE renewable are moving forward with their plans to invest between one and two Billion euro on phase two of the Arklow Bank Wind Park.

Meanwhile a  €5.5 Billion project by Offshore Wind Ltd, a Spanish-British joint venture is proposing to develop floating windfarms off the coast at Greystones and Blackwater in Wexford.