Ireland's ESB Looks to Wave Power

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) --There are ambitious plans in Ireland to make the most of its location to develop marine energy, and this week saw the country's state-owned Electricity Supply Board (ESB) (Dublin) looking to build a 5-megawatt (MW) wave project off the west coast of the country.

ESB International (ESBI), a subsidiary of ESB, has applied to the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG) for foreshore exploration licences to develop its planned WestWave project. The licences will open the way for ESBI to conduct marine surveys and resource measurements at two locations: Killard Point, County Clare and the Achill Area off County Mayo. ESBI is looking to deploy wave measurement buoys for a minimum period of one year to assess the wave climate at each site. Hydrographic surveys will also be carried at each site to assess the sea-bed conditions.

Working with wave energy partners, the aim is to have a 5-MW project in place by 2015. As an island, Ireland is ideally placed to take advantage of maturing wave energy technologies, and ESBI is leading the charge. The company has plans to develop 150-MW of electricity from ocean energy by 2020, while the Irish government's stated goal is to generate 500-MW from ocean energy over the same time period.

Last September, ESB International entered into an agreement with Marine Current Turbines (MCT) (Bristol, England) to deploy its SeaGen tidal turbines for a large 100-MW tidal array project being planned off the coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland. For additional information, see September 19, 2010, article - Tidal Energy Project Planned for Northern Ireland.

The companies are preparing a proposal for the Marine Leasing Round in Northern Ireland to secure a lease from the Crown Estate, which controls the seabed surrounding the U.K. If successful, the companies aim to have the first SeaGen turbines in the water by 2018. Northern Ireland's Strategic Action Plan has outlined a goal of installing 300-MW of tidal energy by 2020.

The WestWave project will be seeking funding under the European Union's New Entrants Reserve 300 (NER300) funding programme, domestic grants and the government's REFIT tariff for wave energy. NER300 is a 4.5 billion-euro ($6.2 billion) fund designed to encourage private sector investors and E.U. Member States to invest in commercial renewable energy demonstration projects. The fund, unveiled last November, will also be used to support up to eight carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. For additional information, see November 11, 2010, article - E.U. Unveils 4.5 Billion Euros for Carbon Capture and Renewable Energy Projects.

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