Ireland Strikes Wind Energy Deal with U.K.

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) -- Ireland has struck a deal to supply the U.K. with green electricity to help it reach its renewable energy targets and provide Ireland with billions of euro in income from its ambitious wind energy plans.

Ministers from both governments have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will allow Ireland to expert as much as 3,000-megawatts (MW) of wind energy to the U.K. via an interconnector running between Ireland and Wales. The potential deal boosts the investment scenario for energy companies that are planning to erect hundreds of turbines throughout the midlands as well as a number of larger offshore windfarms that are in the planning process.

"The MOU will trigger detailed analysis of how Irish renewable energy resources, onshore and offshore, might be developed to the mutual benefit of Ireland and the United Kingdom," stated the joint statement from both countries. Time is crucial to the deal as the U.K. has binding agreements with the European Union (E.U.) to produce 15% of its electricity from renewables by 2020. The next stage will be to develop an inter-governmental agreement on energy trading by next year.

"Ireland has the potential to generate far more wind energy than we could consume domestically," explained Ireland's Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte. "The opportunity to export this green power presents an opportunity for employment growth and export earnings which we must seize if we can. Today the two Governments are committing themselves to a programme of work. We will work closely with the UK government so we are in a position to move towards a formal agreement on energy trading."

The UK's energy secretary Edward Davey, added: "Trading power with Ireland could increase the amount of green power in our energy mix and potentially bring down costs for U.K. consumers. Making the most of the natural renewable resource available around our islands could benefit the economies of both countries".

In September last year, the first electricity link between Ireland and the U.K. went into operation. The EirGrid East-West Interconnector is a 260-kilometre (km) underground and undersea cable that runs between Deeside in north Wales and Woodland, County Meath in Ireland. It is capable of transporting up to 500 MW of electricity. For additional information, see September 24, 2012, article - First Ireland-U.K. Electricity Link Powers Up.

In that same month, plans to create a 5,000 MW 'energy bridge' between Ireland and the U.K. advanced to the first stage when an MoU was signed by a group of European companies and the U.K.'s electricity grid operator, National Grid. For additional information, see September 19, 2012, article - 'Energy Bridge' to Link U.K. and Ireland.

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