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Wind power in Ireland

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At the end of 2008, the Republic of Ireland had an installed wind power capacity of 1244.7 megawatts. This ranks Ireland 15th in the world in terms of megawatts installed. Recent years have seen seen a marked increase in the level of wind power generation, more than doubling from a total of 495.2 megawatts in 2005. In 2008 alone, the rate of growth was 54.6%, amongst the highest in the world.[1] On July 31, 2009, the output from the country's turbines peaked at 999 megawatts. During certain times that day, up to 39 percent of Ireland’s demand for electricity was met from wind.[2] On October 24, 2009, the output exceeded 1000 megawatts for the first time with a peak of 1064 MW.

View of Ballywater Wind Farm in County Wexford, 21 ENERCON E-70.

Background

In the Directive[3] 2001/77/EC, otherwise known as the RES-E Directive, the European Union stated a goal to have 22% of the total energy consumed by member states to be produced from renewable energy resources by 2010. As a result the Republic of Ireland in a report titled “Policy Consideration for Renewable Electricity to 2010” made the commitment to have 4% of its total energy consumption come from renewable energy resources by 2002 and 13.2% by 2010. The Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources (DCMNR) founded the Renewable Energy Group (REG) which established the short term analysis group (STAG) to investigate a means of accomplishing this goal. To meet the 2010 target of 13.2%, 1,432 MW of electricity will need to be generated from renewable resources with 1,100 MW being generated from wind resources both on-shore and off-shore.

Current Issues

There are a few issues facing current development and deployment of wind energy.

Grid Connection Timing
Grid connection is currently awarded on a ‘first come, first connect’ basis through Gate 3 procedures. On examination of the Gate 3 queue, there are a number of large onshore and offshore wind projects that are down the list and will, therefore, be offered grid connection towards the end of the anticipated 18-month processing period commencing in December 2009.[4]

Planning Permission
Wind farms currently are given a planning permission that expires after five years. But, the application process for securing a connection to the grid is six years. Extensions to the planning permissions may be granted if a significant amount of work has been completed on the wind farm. However, there is no standard or minimum of accepted amount of work that needs to be completed to be granted an extension of the planning permission. This causes some developers to not begin work on a wind farm until a grid connection is guaranteed, which slows the process of fulfilling necessary development to meet the 2010 and future energy goals.

REFIT
The fourth issue regarding the generation of wind power is the Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff, or REFIT. The purpose of REFIT is to encourage development of renewable energy resources. For wind power production, the current limit to the tariff is 1,450 MW. However, applications currently being processed for grid connections exceed the limit by almost 1,500 MW for a total for nearly 3,000 MW. Since the limit is 1,450 MW, many of the applications for grid connections may not eligible for the tariff.

Arklow Bank Wind Park

The Arklow Bank Wind Park, located 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) off the coast of Arklow on the Arklow Bank in the Irish Sea, was Ireland’s first off-shore wind farm. The wind farm is owned and built by GE Energy and was co-developed by Airtricity and GE Energy. The site currently has 7 GE Energy 3.6 MW turbines that generate a total of 25 MW. The development of the site has been divided into two phases with the first phase being the first 7 turbines. The second phase, which is in current development, is a partnership between Airtricity and ACCIONA Energia. ACCIONA Energia has an option to buy the project after the facility is completed. The wind farm has current plans to expand the site to generate 520 MW of power.

Although the waters off the Atlantic coastline of Ireland is a better site for wind farms because of the available wind resources, sites along the eastern coastline such as Arklow were chosen for the first wind farms because of the shallower waters, which are 20m (65.62 ft.) or less.

Economic Impact

The European Union has estimated that the current cost for wind energy is 26 €c/kWh. Although this much higher than the 15 €c/kWh for fossil fuel generated energy, the SEI, Sustainable Energy Ireland, has said that “external costs” of fossil fuel generated electricity needs to be considered in the overall energy cost. These “external costs” include the harvesting, processing, use of fossil fuels; the disposal of waste, and the health problems caused by the pollution generated.

There has been some controversy surrounding the costs involved of the use wind farms to supply electricity. A report by the Commission for Energy Regulation and Northern Ireland titled “Impact of High Levels of Wind Penetration in 2020 on the Electricity Market” states that in order for savings from wind generated power to be significant, oil would have to reach $200 per barrel. The report goes on to say that wind power will need to be subsidized as long as oil is around $100 a barrel or less.

Completed onshore wind farms

Wind Farm Completed Grid Connection Capacity (MW) Turbines Type Location
Altagowlan [5] 2005 7.6 9 Gamesa 850 County Roscommon
Anarget 2006 1.2 2 ENERCON E-40 County Donegal
Anarget Extension 2007 0.9 1 ENERCON E-44 County Donegal
Ballybane 2008 30 13 ENERCON E-70 2.3 MW County Cork
Ballywater 2005 42 21 ENERCON E-70 2MW County Wexford
Bindoo [6] 2007 48 32 GE 1.5MW County Cavan
Booltiagh [7] 2005 19.5 13 GE 1.5 County Clare
Carnsore [8] 2002 11.9 14 Vestas County Wexford
Coomacheo [9] 2008 41.4 18 Siemens 2.3VS County Cork
Coomatallin [10] 2005 6 4 GE 1.5SE County Cork
Cornacahan 2007 2.55 3 ENERCON E-44 County Donegal
Corneen [11] 2001 3 2 GE 1.5S County Cavan
Crockahenny [12] 1998 5 10 ENERCON E-40 5.40 County Donegal
Cronelea 2007 6.9 3 ENERCON E-70 2.3MW County Wexford
Cronelea Upper [13] 2005 2.55 3 Vestas V52 850 County Wicklow
Culliagh [14] 2000 12 18 Vestas V47 County Donegal
Derrybrien [15] 2006 60 70 Vestas V52 850 County Galway
Dundalk IT [16] 2005 0.85 1 Vestas V52 850 County Louth
Flughland [17] 2009 9.2 4 ENERCON E-70 2.3MW County Donegal
Gartnaneane [18] 2004 15 10 GE 1.5S County Cavan
Geevagh [19] 2006 5 6 Gamesa G52850 County Sligo
Glackmore 2008 November 2.3 1 ENERCON E-70 2.3 MW County Donegal
Gneeves [20] 2005 9.35 11 Vestas V52 County Cork
Kilgarvan [21] 2006 45 15 Vestas V90 3MW County Kerry
Killybegs 2007 13.8 6 ENERCON E-70 2.3MW County Donegal
Kilronan [22][23] 1998 5 10 Vestas V39 500 County Roscommon
Kilvinane [24] 2006 4.5 3 Gamesa G850 County Cork
Kingsmountain [25] 2003 25 10 Nordex N80 County Sligo
Knockawarriga [26] 2008 22.5 9 Nordex N90 2.5MW County Limerick
Lackan 2006 6.9 3 ENERCON E-70 2.3MW County Sligo
Largan Hill [27] 2000 5.9 9 Vestas V47 660 County Roscommon
Lisheen [28] 2009 36 18 Vestas V90 County Tipperary
Lurganboy 2008 May 5.0 6 ENERCON E-44 County Donegal
Meentycat[29] 2005 72 38 Siemens 2.3MW County Donegal
Midas [30] 2007 32.24 23 Vestas V90 and V52 County Kerry
Moanmore [31] 2006 14 7 Enercon E-70 E4 County Clare
Mullananalt [32] 2008 7.5 5 GE 1.5 County Monaghan
Munignaminnane 2008 November 13.8 18 ENERCON E-44 and E-48 County Kerry
Rahora 2008 December 4 5 ENERCON E-48 County Cork
Richfield [33] 2006 27 18 GE 1.5 County Wexford
Shannagh 2009 2.55 3 ENERCON E-44 County Donegal
Sheeragh 2008 Nov/Dec 4.6 2 ENERCON E-70 2.3MW County Donegal
Sorne Hill 2006 32 16 ENERCON E-70 2MW County Donegal
Tournafulla 2007 27 18 GE 1.5MW County Limerick

Completed offshore wind farms

Wind Farm Completed Grid Connection Capacity (MW) Turbines Type Location
Arklow Bank[34] 2004 25 7 GE 3.6s Offshore County Wicklow

List of proposed or under construction wind farms

Wind Farm Scheduled Capacity (MW) Turbines Type Operator Location Type
Codling [35] Unknown 1100 220 Unknown Codling Wind Farm County Wicklow Offshore
Curragh [36] 2009 September 18 8 Siemens 2.3VS Airtricity County Cork Onshore
Dronada [37] 2010 March 28.5 19 GE 1.5 Airtricity County Limerick Onshore
Dublin Array [38] 2013 364 145 unknown Saorgus [39] County Dublin Offshore
Glenmore 2009 Summer 30 10 VESTAS V90 Clare Winds Ltd County Clare Onshore
Knockastana [40] 2010 March 4 6 GE 1.5 Airtricity County Limerick Onshore
Moneypoint [41] Unknown 22.5 9 Unknown Hibernian Windpower County Clare Onshore
Oriel (Offshore) [42] 2013 330 55 Unknown Oriel Windfarm Ltd County Louth Offshore
Pallas 2008 December 40 20 Enercon E-70 2MW Pallas Wind Farms Ltd County Kerry Onshore
Skerd Rocks [43] Unknown 100 20 5MW FST [44] County Galway Offshore

See also

Template:EnergyPortal

References

  1. ^ World Wind Energy Report 2008
  2. ^ Green Inc Blog on the New York Times Website
  3. ^ EU Directive 2001/77/EC - http://ec.europa.eu/
  4. ^ Developing the Green Economy in Ireland 2-12-2009 Page 41 http://www.forfas.ie/media/dete091202_green_economy.pdf
  5. ^ IWEA page on Altagowlan
  6. ^ Airtricity page on Bindoo
  7. ^ IWEA page on Booltiagh
  8. ^ Hibernian Windpower page on Carnsore
  9. ^ Airtricity page on Coomacheo
  10. ^ Airtricity page on Coomatallin
  11. ^ Airtricity page on Corneen
  12. ^ Hibernian Windpower page on Crockahenny
  13. ^ SEI list of Irish wind farms
  14. ^ Airtriciy page on Culliagh
  15. ^ Hibernian Windpower page on Derrybrien
  16. ^ IWEA page on Dundalk IT
  17. ^ SWS page on Flughland
  18. ^ Airtriciy page on Gartnaneane
  19. ^ IWEA page on Geevagh
  20. ^ SWS page on Gneeves
  21. ^ SWS page on Kilgarvan
  22. ^ IWEA page on Roscommon wind farms
  23. ^ Kilronan website
  24. ^ IWEA page on Kilvinane
  25. ^ Airtricity page on Kingsmountain
  26. ^ SWS page on Knockawarriga
  27. ^ IWEA page on Roscommon wind farms
  28. ^ SWS page on Lisheen
  29. ^ Airtricity page on Meentycat
  30. ^ Airtriciy page on Midas
  31. ^ IWEA page on Moanmore
  32. ^ Airtriciy page on Mullananalt
  33. ^ Airtriciy page on Richfield
  34. ^ IWEA page on Arklow Bank
  35. ^ [1]
  36. ^ Airtricity page on Curragh
  37. ^ Airtricity page on Dromada
  38. ^ Dublin Array Details
  39. ^ company site
  40. ^ Airtricity page on Knockastana
  41. ^ Hibernian page on Moneypoint
  42. ^ Oriel website
  43. ^ Technical Details
  44. ^ company site
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wind power in Ireland.
  • www.sei.ie - Sustainable Energy Ireland, Ireland's national energy agency.
  • www.iwea.ie - Irish Wind Energy Association
  • [2] - Arklow Bank Wind Park, GE Brochure
  • [3] - Sustainable Energy Ireland's report on policies for Renewable Energy programs
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