Ocean Winds and Bord na Móna launch a new major and exclusive offshore wind partnership in Ireland.
An exclusive partnership
Ocean Winds and Bord na Móna will combine their efforts to take advantage of Ireland’s offshore wind resources. The joint venture initially includes two potential projects. These are the Réalt na Mara project, off Dublin and Wicklow, and the Celtic Horizon project, off Wexford and Waterford.
Both projects will have an annual production capacity of up to 2.3GW. In addition, the projects will power up to 2.1 million homes by 2030. The collaboration aims to help Ireland meet its clean energy goals.
The partnership will support the country’s ambition to reach 7GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. In addition, the Ocean Winds project aims to reduce Ireland’s dependence on gas and oil. Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste and Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment says:
“The Irish government recognizes our geographic and climatic advantages in terms of wind energy and is developing public policy proposals to support them. This joint venture is a major step towards our commitment to generate the majority of our electricity from renewable sources – up to 80% – by 2030. It also marks a new chapter in Bord na Móna’s 90-year history of providing energy to local communities across the island. Ocean Winds’ international expertise and achievements are helping Ireland to increase its offshore wind capacity. I look forward to this partnership helping to ensure a secure, sustainable and cost-effective energy future for Ireland.”
An ambitious project
Ocean Winds, a joint venture of ENGIE and EDPR dedicated to offshore wind energy, brings its experience to the project. The objective is to help Ireland develop the offshore renewable industry. In addition, the company has a portfolio of 14 offshore wind farms in 7 countries.
This represents a gross capacity of 14.6GW, of which 1.5GW is already in operation. Grzegorz Gorski, COO of Ocean Winds, says:
“We look forward to forging a long-term relationship with Bord na Móna to support Ireland in its bid to harness its natural wind resources for a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.”
Bord na Móna is no longer limited to onshore wind power.
The Irish company’s wind farms are installed on cut bogs. The partners are committed to ensuring the exploitation of the country’s vast offshore reservoir. It will also identify other offshore wind energy opportunities around the Irish coast.
