Proposed wind farm off Wicklow further reduces maximum turbine number to 75

Developers behind plans for the Republic’s biggest offshore wind farm are further cutting the number of turbines that will be required for the project.

The project team for Codling Wind Park, a proposed power plant off the coast of Wicklow, said its first phase will now need 75 turbines, some 83 per cent lower than the original estimate of 440.

An estimated maximum of 140 turbines was subsequently made and this was revised down to 100 in January 2023, shortly before the second public consultation on the project.

It said the need for fewer turbines was the result of huge advances in wind turbine technology and more efficient turbine models combined with a more detailed understanding of the wind farm site.

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The final design and layout of the project confirm that a minimum of 60 turbines will be required, while the proposed turbine tip heights have also been set at a minimum of 288m (945ft) and a maximum of 314m.

The development will still generate 1,300 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity, enough to power more than one million homes or almost half of all permanent dwellings in the State, the team said.

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The project, which will be located about 13km to 22km off the Co Wicklow coast between Greystones and Wicklow Town, is a 50-50 joint venture between French multinational EDF Renewables and Norway’s Fred Olsen Seawind.

When operational, it is expected to help Ireland meet more than 26 per cent of its 2030 grid-connected offshore wind targets while also helping the country achieve its target of generating 80 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy by the same year.

The new details about the project were announced in advance of a third and final series of public engagements, which will take place this month. The series will include several exhibitions and information clinics in Wicklow Library, at a pop-up shop in Greystones and in Sandymount Community Centre.

“As well as supplying over a quarter of Ireland’s 2030 offshore wind target, Codling Wind Park will support Irish energy independence, help stabilise the cost of electricity for Irish consumers and will displace 1.7 million tonnes of carbon. It will also help the country realise its enormous potential to become a world leader in offshore wind,” said project director Scott Sutherland.

“Through various rounds of public consultation, we have listened to the people of Wicklow Ringsend and Poolbeg and incorporated their feedback into the design where possible. The reduction and layout of the reduced number of turbines was always key in that regard,” he said.

A community benefit fund “of up to €200 million” will be established as part of the project to fund local community-based projects, the developers have also said.

Mr Sutherland said that the €10 million per year fund would not become available until after the project had received planning and begun construction.

The project is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs in the construction phase — which could begin as early as 2026 if planning permission and all other necessary permits and consents are received — and 75 new, long-term jobs associated with its proposed operations and maintenance base. Construction is expected to take two to three years to complete.

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