Dr. Catriona Burke’s Post

Thanks to the The Irish Times for this very fair article and it was a pleasure to discuss the unparalleled opportunities for Ireland with Kevin O'Sullivan last week. The Shannon Estuary Taskforce, at the request of the government, gave over 5,000 hours of their personal time to work on this and other opportunities. The then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Ministers Eamon Ryan, Simon Coveney, Norma Foley, all with truly inspirational words, launched our report last July including a Plan, agreed by all Stakeholders, to harvest power from Atlantic wind by 2032. One part of that plan requires investment in the 2 deep water ports of the Shannon Estuary, just like the investments that are now underway in many countries in Europe. Minister Ryan was very clear at recent IEA conference in Paris that governments need to ‘get out of the way’ and let industry get on with the work. https://lnkd.in/esXxAas8 We note government support for our State energy company ESB in its efforts to develop 2 floating wind farms for the benefit of the Scottish economy in the last several years. Just like the other developers, ESB have made no progress here on building floating wind farms, despite the need. Our new Taoiseach, Simon Harris has promised ‘a new energy’ for his tenure as leader of our government and has appointed a new generation of Ministers. Let us hope now that this government will show the vision and leadership of the first government of this State who built Ardnacrusha, the world’s largest hydroelectric plant in its day, a century ago. Today, the risk is beyond miniscule for a government spending €110 billion this year, but the rewards over the next century will be orders greater. Power from floating wind @ 10m/s will be equivalent in cost to fixed by 2035. We have 14 m/s wind speeds in the Atlantic, and as power is proportional to the cube of wind speed, 14 is 2.7 times better than 10! In this increasingly digital world, the countries that can offer large amounts of green energy to society will win, and we are already 5 years behind our neighbours. We eagerly await the new energy of this administration. The Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce plans are ready.

Case studies from Denmark (Port of Esbjerg) and France (Port La Nouvelle, near Narbonne) in the excellent recent article by Kevin O'Sullivan in the The Irish Times shows the impact of vision and ambition for offshore wind elsewhere in Europe. Barry O'Sullivan chairman of the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce is quoted as saying "the Shannon estuary should be seen as the green front door for Europe, such is the depth, shelter, wet storage capacity and offshore wind speeds nearby". In order to achieve this, we can learn from our neighbours. "To justify the necessary investments, it is important to adopt a more regional or global perspective. This is the main lesson learned from the experience of Port Esbjerg, which can help the industry reach its full potential.” “Port-La Nouvelle, near Narbonne, in southern France is the only port with dedicated facilities to build and assemble offshore floating wind turbines close to the best windy location in the western Mediterranean. The port is publicly owned by Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée, the second-largest region in France, and privately managed. It is spending more than €680 million enlarging facilities, with funding secured through the regional government to ensure it does not transgress EU state aid rules. Port-La Nouvelle attracted private investment following the success of the initial partly state-funded projects”. https://lnkd.in/gceTuuMb

Big offshore ambitions require big thinking. Kevin O'Sullivan's article profiles Denmark's Esbjerg port and how even it struggles to keep up with the scaling of the offshore wind energy industry. In Ireland we have espoused ambitious plans for offshore wind, but without the policy clarity on how our grids and port infrastructure can match that ambition. Yesterday's inaugural speech by our new Taoiseach Simon Harris was understandably short-term in scope, but we will quickly need Government and new Enterprise Minister Peter Burke to set out how we achieve not just 2030 targets, but what our energy industry will look like in 2050 and 2060. Port infrastructure will be critical, as already outlined by industry leaders like Barry O'Sullivan. 20 MW wind turbines are coming, and we will need to get organised to handle them. Wind Energy Ireland #renewableenergy #offshorewind https://lnkd.in/e_GAd--D

The failure of Denmark’s largest ever offshore wind tender to attract any bids means its government must rethink urgently the terms on which it expects developers to compete, said a national renewables group that warned “wind turbines are not money trees”. #renewables #windpower #windfarms Green Power Denmark WindEurope Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) Danish Energy Agency Ørsted Vattenfall https://lnkd.in/ebEfsfrg

Poland Launches Offshore Wind Era with Baltic Power Project, Driving Energy Security and EU Decarbonization Goals Reading Time: 3 minutesPoland is ramping up its domestic offshore wind supply chain to become the leading offshore wind player in the Baltic Sea. Work on the construction of two substations for Poland’s first offshore wind farm is now complete. This marks the kick-off of commercial-scale offshore wind development in Polish waters. Meanwhile, the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU has made energy security and industrial competitiveness two of its main priorities. On 23 January 2025, Grupa Przemysłowa Baltic (GPB), a Polish company specializing in manufacturing complex steel structures, hosted a high-level event to celebrate the completion of […] - https://lnkd.in/dKMCwu5v #windenergy #windturbines #offshorewind #windturbine #cleanenergy #climatechange #sustainability #energynews #smartenergy #windfarm #windindustry #renewableenergy #renewables #decarbonisation #energysecurity #eu #europe #offshorewind #renewableenergy #windenergy #windfarm #windeurope

#Offshorewind's 'new wave' of markets - likes of #SouthKorea, #Australia and #Brazil - well poised to fuel end-of-decade boom if policymakers and industry can get their act together, says Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) in latest annual update Asia Wind Energy Association WindEurope International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) #renewableenergy #windpower

World Bank Group releases report on offshore wind development scenarios for Brazil based on analysis by DNV. Brazil's offshore wind energy potential exceeds 1,200 GW, with 480 GW from fixed foundations and 748 GW from floating foundations. This abundant resource, strategically located near demand centers, positions offshore wind as a pivotal player in Brazil's future energy landscape. The report, prepared in collaboration with the World Bank, Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), and the Energy Research Office (EPE), provides a thorough analysis for policymakers and stakeholders, active in Brazil and presents a vision for a future under three different growth scenarios. Executive summary can be downloaded on DNV website. #dnv #offshorewind #energytransition #renewableenergy Tchiarles Coutinho Hilbig Thiago Coriolano

L'éolien en mer arrive en Turquie ! : Roadmap Outlines Path for Türkiye to Reach 7 GW of Offshore Wind by 2040 The World Bank Group, in collaboration with the Republic of Türkiye’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, has launched an offshore wind roadmap for the country that outlines the potential for up to 7 GW of capacity to be installed by 2040. The Government of Türkiye has set a target of 5 GW installed capacity for offshore wind power by 2035. According to the World Bank, the country’s waters have areas with a total technical potential offshore wind resource estimated at 75 GW. Favorable offshore wind resources are located near high-demand power centres, offering a large-scale, domestic power generation source. Most areas with good resources are said to be suited for floating foundation solutions, given water depths that exceed 50 metres. The analysis identifies the country’s strategic location, close to European and Asian markets, as an opportunity to become a regional clean energy hub, said the World Bank. The country’s strong industrial base and skilled workforce, particularly its successful onshore wind, shipbuilding and maritime industries, are well-positioned to thrive in the offshore wind supply chain with sufficient project volume and pipeline, the organization stated. “Offshore wind, as an important renewable energy resource, holds the potential to accelerate Türkiye’s transition to net-zero by complementing ongoing onshore wind and solar investment plans, drive supply chain growth and job creation, and strengthen the country’s position as a green energy hub in the region”, said Humberto Lopez, World Bank Country Director for Türkiye. According to the roadmap, four initial exploration areas have been identified, and these are found in the Aegean Sea (around Çanakkale and Ayvalik), the Sea of Marmara, and, to a lesser extent, the Black Sea. Taking into consideration environmental, social, and technical constraints, the potential development is estimated at about 66 GW, equivalent to around 60 per cent of the total existing generation capacity in the country, according to the roadmap. The majority of the initial exploration areas for offshore wind are said to be in deeper water suited for floating technology, representing over 59 GW of potential across 13,270 square kilometres. According to the roadmap, very little of this resource potential is in shallow water (less than 50 metres) suited to fixed-foundation offshore wind, representing around 6.8 GW of potential across 1,510 square kilometres : ... https://lnkd.in/eJJMTRwR

📣📣 During a visit to Saint-Nazaire on May 2, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire detailed the government's ambitious plan to boost offshore wind capacity to 45 GW by 2050, an increase from the previously set target of 40 GW. This revised goal is part of France's broader Energy-Climate Strategy, which aims for a progressive scale-up of offshore wind power: 4 GW by 2030 and 18 GW by 2035. Currently, France has successfully connected three offshore wind farms. To achieve the 2035 milestone, 15 more projects are in various stages: three nearing completion, three set for deployment by 2031, and nine undergoing the tendering process. Additionally, a new tender for 10 GW is in consideration, reflecting a significant commitment to developing renewable energy within Europe, with at least half of the capacity intended to be locally produced. https://lnkd.in/dey4dnjK

Today, a historical Danish offshore wind energy tender has been launched, featuring six sites, each with a minimum capacity of 1GW and the option for additional capacity. The goal is to deploy between 6 to 10 GW within six years. Given prevailing sector challenges like capital costs and supply chain delays, I'm eager to observe the tender outcome and subsequent developments. https://lnkd.in/exZWTAkF #offshore #windenergy #renewableenergy #europe