The decision by Corio Generation to withdraw from developing a large wind farm off the Connemara coast highlights the Government’s flawed policies on offshore energy, according to the environmental group Blue Ireland.
The failure to fully apply EU legislation on offshore wind projects in the immediate pipeline was likely to lead to future planning decisions ending up in the courts, it said.
Its statement follows Corio’s withdrawal from building a 450 megawatt wind farm on the Sceirde Rocks, a €1.4 billion project that would have powered 350,000 homes. It reduced the number of expected projects before 2030 from six to five, with four developers – including Corio – having secured state contracts.
Corio’s planning application was submitted to An Bord Pleanála in January and is still “live”. The company indicated that recent site investigations identified “specific conditions and engineering challenges” and meant it could not proceed. There were concerns it would be vulnerable in event of extreme weather.
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Notwithstanding a planning system overhaul, the remaining near-shore projects, deploying fixed turbines in shallower waters, could face problems, said Blue Ireland spokeswoman Val Freeman.
This arises from the “developer-led” system in place for many years, she said. It was replaced by the Government last year with a “plan-led” approach where sites, known as DMAPs, are designated for development of wind farms by the Government to accelerate offshore energy.
Cancellation of the Sceirde Rocks project “confirms the misguided determination of successive governments to push through flawed proposals such as this that have been allowed to circumvent all necessary environmental safeguards”, Ms Freeman added.
In late 2022, the Corio application was granted a 45-year site occupation licence based solely on technical and financial considerations, she said. “Clearly, the level of scrutiny applied failed to identify the technical challenges that surely should have been apparent had a comprehensive professional assessment of the full range of these been undertaken.”
The purposeful setting aside of ecosystem-based marine planning in Ireland had created “an accruing mess to which Blue Ireland has been bringing attention for decades”, Ms Freeman said.
As money gets tighter in a global tariff war scenario, it was crucial that Ireland stop “delaying progress by pouring effort and money into legacy projects that are just stumbling along”, she said. “We need to once and for all commit to true compliance with EU law and act in the public interest. This is how we can create a sustainable future.”
Such was the level of disquiet among environmental groups along the east and south coasts about nearshore projects that there was a strong possibility of legal challenges, notwithstanding a new planning regime and the State’s wish to turbo charge offshore wind, Ms Freeman added.
