Will energy bonanza float past Ireland?

摘要

In his presentations at the Seminar, Mainstream's Andy Kinsella estimated the Irish offshore wind resource potential to be 65GW, of which 27GW is accessible only using floating wind technologies. Ireland can benefit from this resource and become a net energy exporter into the renewables supergrid by establishing and implementing a realistic action plan.Principle Power has developed the WindFloat, a floating support structure for large offshore turbines. The WindFloat is built and maintained locally, and thus could provide Ireland with significant tangible benefits, most notably: robust job creation in the offshore renewables sector and use of surplus manufacturing infrastructure in Northern Ireland. As WindFloat systems are assembled and commissioned in a shipyard, capital expenditures are focused on indigenous revenue generating activities, rather than support infrastructure. In addition, intrinsic characteristics of the WindFloat allow for simplified deployment of today's large and tomorrow's larger turbines, the mitigation of negative visual impact due to siting flexibility and environmental and ecological benefits due to the absence of sub-sea piling and simple decommissioning. The first WindFloat installation is taking place now in Portugal, itself a missed opportunity for Ireland. It is my hope that this clear opportunity to reap the benefits of Ireland's offshore potential will not be lost again.