CONTRACTS have been signed for a multi-billion euro deal to develop two floating wind farms off the coasts of Clare and Cork.
It brings the Western Star Floating wind project which will see the development of a 1.35GW floating wind farm 35km off the coast of Kilkee back on track. It will be located in waters over 100m deep.
EDF Renewables Ireland has entered into a partnership to develop the Western Star and Emerald floating wind projects with Simply Blue Group. The partnership is subject to a merger clearance expected in the coming months. The 50:50 joint venture partners will now seek to progress the two projects to meet Irish Government targets to have 2GW of floating wind in development by 2030.
Last September, the Western Star Floating wind project was plunged into jeopardy after the multinational energy giant, Shell announced it was to pull out of the Irish renewables sector.
Both EDF Renewables and Simply Blue Group have said they are confident in the Irish market.
Senator Timmy Dooley (FF) said the new partnership was “good news for West Clare”. He added that floating wind would provide “the electricity of the future and will bring big economic benefits to our county”.
Kilkee based, Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) labelled it as “an extremely positive development for us here in West Clare”. He said it was “a real shot in the arm for this project specifically, but also great to see confidence as to the development of floating offshore off Clare in general”.
Matthieu Hue, CEO of EDF Renewables UK and Ireland, stated, “We are very pleased to sign the partnership on these two exciting floating offshore wind projects. Emerald and Western Star will complement our flagship, fixed-bottom foundation, Codling Wind Park development off the east coast of Ireland, diversifying our offshore portfolio in Ireland and strengthening our position as a key player in the Irish and UK offshore markets”.
“These projects further strengthen EDF Renewables’ position as a leading global player in the emerging floating wind industry, joining a portfolio that includes our Gwynt Glas project in the Celtic Sea and Provence Grand Large off the south coast of France. We are looking forward to working closely with Simply Blue Group to deliver on the two projects’ great potential to make a significant contribution to the Irish Government’s renewable energy goals”.
Sam Roch Perks, CEO of Simply Blue Group, stated that “Simply Blue are delighted to partner with EDF Renewables to deliver these strategic assets and to deliver Ireland’s first floating offshore wind farms. As an international renewable energy company, EDF Renewables are major players in the energy transition worldwide, ensuring alignment with Simply Blue’s culture and commitment to making a positive impact on climate, biodiversity, and coastal communities. Simply Blue’s expertise in floating offshore wind, with over 10GW of floating projects in development globally, has been brought to bear on the selection of the two sites, following extensive stakeholder engagement and initial environmental assessments”.
Val Cummins, Project Managing Director for Emerald and Western Star, added “the partnership is ideally placed to deliver for Phase 3 of offshore wind in Ireland. This is key to kick-starting floating offshore wind, which will have a transformational positive impact on Ireland’s maritime and energy landscape, including the coastal communities in Cork and Clare”.
