Prof Andrew Keane: Ireland has potential to deliver more clean energy than it can consume

A massive opportunity exists for offshore wind development in our coastal waters, which has the potential to decarbonise Ireland’s energy while also contributing to the energy needs of other countries

The development of new floating offshore wind technologies allows access to deeper waters, such as the Atlantic coast, which has some of the highest average wind speeds in Europe. 

The recent agreement at Cop26 was somewhat disappointing in the language around the phasing down of fossil fuels, but there does seem to be strong international agreement on the need to tackle climate change, and many countries are looking at what they need to do with renewed urgency. 

The electricity sector is leading the way in decarbonisation, with heating and transport becoming increasingly electrified and reducing their reliance on fossil fuels.