Shell acquires 51% stake in Irish offshore floating wind project

Western Star venture aims to develop up to 1.35GW of wind energy off the Co Clare coast

Gordon Shearer, commercial manager offshore wind, Shell; Val Cummins, managing director, Simply Blue Group; and Hugh Kelly, co-founder and chief commercial director, Simply Blue Group, at Loop Head lighthouse in Co Clare for the official announcement of Simply Blue Group's partnership with Shell on the Western Star floating wind project. Picture: Diane Cusack

Oil giant Shell is to acquire a 51% stake in a floating wind farm project off the Co Clare coast.

The company has entered an agreement with Cork developer the Simply Blue Group for the share in its Western Star venture that aims to develop up to 1.35GW of wind energy.

It follows a similar agreement from both companies earlier this year to codevelop Emerald wind farm near the former Kinsale gas fields off the southern coast.

Hessel de Jong, offshore wind general manager Europe for Shell, said the company was aiming to provide more renewable power as part of its ambition to be a net-zero emissions business by 2050. 

"Working alongside coastal communities to create shared value is key to success for both the Western Star floating wind project and the previously announced Emerald project, which is why we have chosen to work with Simply Blue Group.”

The Western Star Project will be located at least 35km off the west coast of Co. Clare and will have a total capacity of 1.35GW, enough to power more than 1.1m homes in Ireland. The innovative floating technology proposed for this project will allow the turbines to be located far from shore and in waters over 100m deep.

Hugh Kelly, co-founder of the Simply Blue Group, said the projects would greatly help Ireland progress towards a green energy future with domestically sourced sustainable electricity delivering both environmental and economic benefits to the entire country.