DP Energy and Iberdrola leading Ireland towards a greener future
DP Energy and its partner Iberdrola have submitted applications for foreshore licences for three off-shore wind projects around the Irish Coast. Cork will be central to this plan. This photo features Iberdrola's successful Wikinger Project, located in the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Germany.
At the forefront of Ireland’s journey towards a green and sustainable economy is Cork-based renewable energy developer, DP Energy.
With a global reputation spanning over 30 years, the company develops, constructs and operates renewable energy assets worldwide. DP Energy’s first wind farm project was completed in Tyrone in 1995, and since then the company has delivered wind energy projects in Ireland, Australia, Canada and the UK.
Headquartered in Buttevant and operating across the world, the company is led by co-founders Maureen and Simon De Pietro — a mother and son partnership.
They are supported by a team of highly experienced engineers, marine scientists, planning experts, project managers, environmental managers and financial, legal and technical experts. Simon is currently co-president of Ocean Energy Europe and is a board member of Marine Renewables Canada.
DP Energy is also a member of Wind Energy Ireland (WEI) and Maureen has been a member of the Council since 1993.
DP Energy is committed to using the most sustainable and environmentally responsible methods possible in all of its developments and has a global portfolio of over 5GW in wind, solar, tidal and offshore wind. The company has tidal energy projects ongoing in Canada, Scotland and Northern Ireland and is also working in the wave energy sector, with a strong focus on opportunities in the west of Ireland.
Ireland’s current climate objectives are to reduce CO₂ emissions by 51% by 2030 and achieve Net-Zero emissions by 2050.
To contribute to these climate objectives, DP Energy partnered with Iberdrola, one of the world’s largest renewable energy producers, earlier this year to develop its Irish Offshore Wind portfolio. Iberdrola has substantial experience in developing offshore wind farms across the world and the joint venture is built on a shared approach, that is, a commitment to sustainable and ethical developments.
Offshore wind energy is a clean and renewable resource obtained by utilising the force of the wind that is produced at sea. The energy is stronger and more consistent than on land due to the absence of any physical barriers.
DP Energy and Iberdrola have submitted applications for Foreshore Licences for three off-shore wind projects around the Irish Coast. The 3GW portfolio is led by the Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park, located off the South Coast of Ireland, which will see Cork Harbour play a pivotal role in this exciting space and assist in Ireland’s move towards green energy.
The project is anticipated to have a capacity of some 1,000 MW (1 GW) of power, and will generate enough green energy to power the equivalent of nearly one million Irish homes. The project will utilise Floating Offshore Wind (FOW) technology due to water depths of in and around 60m in the area. This technology involves the wind turbines being mounted on floating platforms secured to the seabed by moorings.
The number of wind turbines involved will depend on the area considered most suitable for development after surveys and detailed assessments take place. However, based on current technologies available of wind turbines with a 15MW capacity, a 1 GW project would consist of approximately 70 turbines.
The Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park is planned to be operational between 2028 and 2030 and will involve wind turbines connected to an offshore substation by subsea cables to transport the clean renewable energy ashore and into the grid network.
Ireland has a vast offshore energy resource within it’s maritime area, allowing significant space for the deployment of wind farms in alignment with it’s other users.
Offshore wind farms enable the deployment of large wind turbines in areas remote from population and where wind speeds are higher than those onshore. The combined scale of turbine size, project size and better wind speeds enables a greater volume of clean energy to be produced.
The Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park and other projects in the joint venture between DP Energy and Iberdrola will generate clean renewable energy for Ireland, reducing the need to import fossil fuels while also providing the opportunity for Ireland to become a major exporter of energy. The business is delighted that Cork will be at the very centre of this significant achievement.
The project has already resulted in the creation of new jobs, with the DP Energy team in Cork and across Ireland expanding significantly over the past 12 months. Paired with this expansion comes an increased demand for additional support from environmental consultants, specialist vessel surveyors, engineering technical businesses and other suppliers, even during this early development process.
Demand and opportunity will increase as the project progresses through it’s different stages from planning to detailed engineering design, to construction and then into operation and maintenance. The economic benefit will also extend to the expansion of port facilities, resulting in opportunities for local businesses.
The DP Energy and Iberdrola partnership is also committed to supporting local supply chain and employment where possible, with more information on employment opportunities posted on www.dpenergy.com regularly.
DP Energy and Iberdrola understand that a proposal such as Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park can raise many questions for all members of the local community.
Genuine engagement is important to DP Energy and the company has made it their mission to be open and available to everyone throughout the course of the project.
Engagement with the local fishing community is also critical for a project of this nature, so to facilitate this, the DP Energy team — including founder Simon de Pietro — is engaging directly with local fishermen. This direct one-to-one engagement is essential to understanding the individual needs of each fisher and allows DP Energy to consider feedback during survey design.
Community and Stakeholder Engagement is led by DP Energy’s Yvonne Cronin, who is available to discuss any aspect of the Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park or other projects. You can call her on or email her on .
You will also find lots more information on the following websites:
www.inisealgamarineenergypark.com
