AN international green energy expert has said Ireland has the greatest potential in Europe for wind energy development but it needs to quickly start realising this potential.

For centuries, Dutch windmills have pumped water out of the low-lying country, and old-fashioned wooden mills are as closely linked with the Netherlands’ international image as its dikes and bikes.

IRELAND’S failure to embrace production of renewable energy means that fines of up to E7 billion could become a reality by 2012, a conference heard yesterday.