Offshore wind farms are coming. The race is on by Irish ports to service them

Ireland is to witness an explosion in offshore wind farms with port companies racing to make sure the infrastructure is in place to service them

An artist's impression of how the Doyle Shipping Group's dockyard in Cork Harbour could be used as a major hub for the delivery and assembly of offshore wind turbines. Picture: DSG

With Ireland setting itself the ambitious goal of developing 5,000 MW of offshore wind energy by the end of the decade, ports and harbours around the country are putting in place plans and infrastructure that will allow them to help deliver, assemble and service the various pieces of infrastructure required.

Onshore wind farms are already a common sight on Irish hills and mountains and they will be joined shortly by the rapid growth of solar farms. However offshore wind is seen as one of the fastest-growing industries that will provide a significant portion of the power required for the country to become completely carbon neutral by 2050.