Oriel Wind Farm

Oriel Windfarm is a privately owned Irish sustainable and renewable energy company.^[1] It was established in order to develop wind farms in Ireland and the company’s first project is the development of an offshore wind farm in the northwest Irish Sea.

The proposed Oriel wind farm will be located near Clogherhead, approximately 22 km southeast of Dundalk, County Louth, and approximately 24 km northeast of Drogheda.^[2] The farm takes its name from the ancient Kingdom of Oriel.

Environmental impact

Detailed surveys and studies of the physical, ecological, and human environment at the proposed wind farm site have been carried out since 2003. These ranged from geotechnical assessments of the area to surveys of birds flying above the site.^[3]

Construction

If all relevant consents are gained, preparatory construction is expected to begin in early 2009.^{[dated info]} As of 2007, the proposed plans called for the wind farm to be constructed over 5 phases of 11 turbines each, each phase to be completed over a single construction season, lasting from April to October. Plans call for each phase to be fully commissioned and producing electricity by the end of each working season. As of 2007, production was planned to commence in 2011, with the entire development completed by 2013.^[3]

Output

Once completed, the wind farm will be capable of generating up to 330 megawatts of clean, renewable energy. The generated electricity will be fed into the National Grid at one of the following locations: Castlebellingham or Dunany in County Louth or Bremore in County Dublin. The output of the wind farm will be sufficient to meet the average needs of approximately 250,000 households.^[2]

Renewable energy in the Republic of Ireland

At present, renewable energy accounts for approximately 3% of the Republic of Ireland’s energy requirements, the Irish government has committed to increasing this to 15% by 2010 and 33% by 2020. Additionally, Ireland must, under the Kyoto Protocol reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 13% above 1990 levels or else face fines from the EU. The Oriel wind farm could represent a significant contribution to achieving these targets.

References

1. ^ Oriel Wind Farm official website
2. ^ ^{a b} Major offshore wind farm planned off Louth, Ireland in the North Irish Sea
3. ^ ^{a b} Environmental Impact Statement