Cork Chamber: Accelerate offshore wind farms to counter energy insecurity

Paula Cogan, who was elected president of Cork Chamber at its 202nd AGM, with new board members Pankaj Agarwal of PepsiCo, Brian FitzGerald of Simply Blue Group, and Ray Kelleher of The Montenotte Hotel. Picture: Gerard McCarthy

Cork Chamber president Paula Cogan has hit out at delays in developing offshore wind farms, saying businesses in Ireland will not be resigned to a future of carbon tax rises or energy insecurity. 

Speaking at Cork Chamber's AGM this week, Ms Cogan said the country needs to move beyond survival from the Covid pandemic and have a vision for the future but criticised the inertia when it came to capital infrastructure developments.

“Delivery of infrastructure is now the challenge but it is beset by delays in objection in planning and in the courts," said Ms Cogan. 

"Objections can take years to resolve for no reason other than poor resources and lack of binding timelines.

What credible State allows its own nationally significant infrastructure projects to languish in this manner? 

"It undermines the institutions, the economy, the environment, and the vision.”

Speaking of the challenge of energy shortages, Ms Cogan said: "It is utterly negligent to be lamenting energy insecurity and climate change when we have the potent solution of floating offshore wind and green hydrogen in our hands. In this context of inertia, business will not be resigned to a future of carbon tax rises, or accept any excuse for energy insecurity."

The Government this month began consultations on auctions for electricity from offshore wind, but Ms Cogan said current targets must be increased and expanded.