THE IRISH and Scottish governments and the Northern Executive are co-operating on an initiative to assess the possibility of generating electricity through renewable energy off the Scottish and Irish coasts.
Minister for Energy Éamon Ryan joined his Scottish counterpart, Jim Mather, in Glasgow yesterday to announce the new feasibility study into exploiting wind and water energy.
It will explore the potential for the transmission of electricity generated by offshore renewables off the west coast of Scotland, the north and east coasts of Northern Ireland, the Irish Sea and the west coast of the Republic.
The study, which has EU support, is estimated to cost £1.6 million and will explore technological, economic, construction and regulatory factors associated with the development of an offshore electricity transmission network.
The three administrations have been co-operating in the energy area since last year. Later this year the ISLES (Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study) project is to be launched.
Mr Ryan said the Republic, Northern Ireland and Scotland were embarking on an ambitious project to take advantage of its renewable resources.
“Our shared location, on the periphery of Europe and close to both the Atlantic and North Sea, gives us a distinct advantage.
“We have a vast wealth of free natural resources that we can harness to provide ourselves with a clean and sustainable source of energy,” he said.
“It is imperative that we develop an effective grid system that will allow us to work in partnership.”
Mr Mather said Scotland had a clear, competitive advantage in developing clean, green energy sources.
Its target was to generate 50 per cent of Scotland’s electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
“To realise the potential of the huge wind, wave and tidal resources at our disposal, we need to examine the longer term development of our grid infrastructure in partnership with the governments in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland,” he said.
“The feasibility study will allow us to explore the various challenges associated with the development of an offshore transmission network and help make the case for commercial investment,” he added.
“Scotland, we believe, has never been in better shape to become the green energy capital of Europe and, in turn, a renewables powerhouse,” said Mr Mather.
The North’s Energy Minister Arlene Foster, welcoming the study, said the North and the Republic of Ireland had already demonstrated the mutual benefits that can come from working on projects that enhance regional co-operation and economic growth.
“We must now plan for the future if we are to ensure sustainable electricity supplies at a time of increasing world energy pressures,” she added.
“This project is a significant milestone in utilising our local resources and will help us, in conjunction with our neighbours, map out the future of offshore renewable energy to benefit the whole of Northern Ireland.”
