Did You Know:
- Offshore wind energy can be installed in two ways.
- These wind turbines can be stuck to the bottom of the seabed by a monopile or a pole.
- The other option is a floating offshore wind turbine which is moored to the sea bed.
- These are a lot bigger and taller than land wind turbines. They could be equal to the height of the Eiffel tower.
- There’s just one off shore floating wind turbine off the shore of Wicklow.
- There are more plans for these off the East coast of Ireland.
- We’re just getting started on the development now. 6 projects have received location. The next phase is to apply for planning permission.
- There’s also plans for designation on the south coast as well to meet the target of 7 gigawatts by 2030. It’s hoped construction will begin by 2028
- Factors that have to be considered when installing these include:
- Water depths of up to 50 metres.
- Proximity to a port.
- Where is the best wind resources.
- Social acceptance factors such as visibility and distance to shore are also important. It being off shore is more socially acceptable, it’s not a visual issue.
What You Can Do:
- Keep up to date with the lates in floating offshore wind energy by following the MaREI.
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