The lack of clear policy and regulatory signals in support of offshore wind energy risks sending a message to the industry that Ireland is not open for business to offshore wind.
This warning was delivered to the Energy Ireland Conference today from Stephen Wheeler, the managing director of SSE Ireland.
Mr Wheeler said the continued lack of any renewable electricity support scheme as well as grid access for offshore wind energy is undermining investor and supply chain confidence in the potential to develop this low-carbon industry sector in Ireland.
According to Stephen Wheeler, Ireland has one of the strongest offshore wind resources in the world, but is one of the only countries in Northern Europe not developing offshore wind capacity.
He said this is due to the historic and continued lack of any standard support mechanism and grid access for offshore wind energy in Ireland.
"The development of a thriving offshore wind energy industry presents oceans of opportunity for Ireland, including multi-billion-euro investments in low-carbon generation, the creation of skilled regional jobs and supply-chain development, and the regeneration of local ports around the island," the SSE Ireland boss said.
He said that offshore wind energy is the only renewable technology of genuine scale that can power the low-carbon revolution needed to bridge the gap towards meeting Ireland’s binding international climate and energy targets.
" However, that revolution will not happen unless clear signals are given to investors and the industry supply chain that Ireland is ‘open-for-business’ for offshore wind," he added.
Mr Wheeler called for the Government and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities to take the forward-looking steps necessary, as quickly as possible, to support offshore wind energy.
He said they can do this by providing for a technology specific category for offshore wind in the upcoming new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, and by delivering certainty to the energy sector that grid access will be provided to offshore wind projects.
"If these steps are not taken, Ireland’s offshore wind energy revolution will be stalled before it even has a chance to begin," he warned.
Since 2008, SSE has invested over €2.5 billion in the development of the country's sustainable energy infrastructure and it owns and operates around 2,000MW of generation capacity on the island of Ireland.
About 740MW of power comes from almost 30 onshore wind farms including Ireland's largest wind farm, the 169MW Galway Wind Park, which was jointly developed with Coillte.
SSE is the largest generator and provider of renewable energy in the all-island Single Electricity Market.
