IRELAND HAS lost “round one” in the contest to harness Atlantic renewables, according to the ocean energy industry, after confirmation that two major developers are to invest heavily in Scotland.
Swedish utility Vattenfall and Irish-Scottish technology developer Aquamarine Power have announced they have secured seabed leases worth 50 megawatts in renewable energy from the Crown Estate for the Scottish east coast. The leases are estimated to be worth €250 million and involve several hundred jobs in the initial pilot stage.
Both developers had previously expressed a keen interest in developing wave farms off Ireland, but it is understood they now believe there is far greater political commitment and support in the UK.
Scotland’s first minister Alex Salmond has recently upped renewable targets from 80 to 100 per cent, predicting Scotland should produce enough renewable electricity to meet all its power demand by 2025.
The Marine Renewables Industry Association (MRIA), the national body for tide and wave energy, said it was currently “impossible for any major developer” in the sector to locate here and create significant employment as Ireland was “not yet open for business”.
It suggested wave energy could earn Ireland €10 billion, and create up to 52,000 jobs by 2030, pointing to a recent report by SQW consultants and published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
“Scotland’s astute political management, ambition and sheer hunger for jobs has seen them emerge as the clear winners of the first round in the battle to dominate the emerging global wave energy industry,” MRIA chairman Peter Coyle said yesterday.
The MRIA and SEAI have expressed disappointment at the approach of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to ocean energy in its recent energy review. The latter said the review took a “short-term” view.
Mr Coyle identified three stages to the developing global wave energy industry – identifying the most suitable technology and infrastructure in pilot projects of 10 MW, moving to full-scale commercial deployment on medium-scale wave farms of 50 to 100 MW, and rolling out the technology internationally. “The reality is that whichever country wins round two will become the global centre,” he said.
Vattenfall, Europe’s largest generator of electricity, recently commissioned Europe’s largest offshore wind farm. The company is expected to retain its interest in the State energy test site in north Mayo through Tonn Energy, a joint venture development with Irish company Wavebob.
Tonn Energy’s project director Harvey Appelbe warned last year there was growing frustration among potential investors here.
