State plans increase in generation of wind farm energy

The Government is shortly expected to announce a planned increase in the generation of renewable energy which would lead to the construction of about 100 additional wind farms around the State.

The move comes despite resistance to wind turbines from some communities, particularly in the light of peat landslides in Derrybrien, Co Galway, where a wind farm was being constructed.

The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Ahern, has sought permission from the European Commission to increase substantially the output of renewable energy as there is extra capacity on the national electricity grid.

The Minister, who expects a positive decision from Brussels, said the plans would see the addition of 140 megawatts of "green energy" to the grid, mostly from wind turbines which typically generate between one and three megawatts each.

This extra power would be in addition to another 578 mw of "green energy" which is due to be generated by 2005.

The plans to step up the generation of renewable energy come as investigations continue into the source of the landslides in Derrybrien, where ESB subsidiary, Hibernia Wind Power, was building a series of wind turbines.

No one was injured, although a series of dams had to be hastily built as the landslide threatened to affect residential areas.

Last week, a proposed development for a wind farm in Laois was rejected by councillors following a campaign by residents in the Killeshin area of the county who expressed environmental and safety concerns over the planned project.

A spokesman for Mr Ahern said he was aware of some concerns following the Derrybrien incident, but he wished to see the results of the inquiry before commenting further.

He said the generation of renewable energy was important to help reduce the State's dependence on imported fossil fuels and meet its obligations to reduce greenhouse gases under the Kyoto treaty.

Mr Ahern said recent developments would bring the level of renewable energy produced in the State up to almost 10 per cent of the national total.

Germany leads the world in wind-generated electricity with more than 6,000 mw, according to figures published last year. The US, which launched the modern wind-power industry in the early 1980s, and Spain follow with 4,150 mw. Denmark is fourth with 2,500 mw.

Airtricity, the largest renewable energy firm in the State, said that in the main there was little resistance to wind energy and that none of its applications for wind farms had been rejected by communities or councillors.

A spokeswoman said the company engaged in a detailed consultation process with locals wherever it was seeking to build wind farms.

Airtricity is involved in the Arklow Bank wind farm, the world's first offshore use of wind turbines above 3 mw capacity, which is due to begin producing electricity before Christmas.