South East Offshore Wind
Virtual Public Exhibition

Welcome

Mainstream Renewable Power is reviewing the potential to develop an offshore wind farm to provide renewable energy. We are at the early feasibility stages of this potential project and would like to invite you to participate in a public consultation for our investigative foreshore licence. This online room allows you to get the information on the licence application in an accessible way at any time day or night.

This online room will be available to view during the public consultation until the 18th May 2023. We hope you find it useful. If you would like further information please let us know.

Project Need

Mainstream Renewable Power believes South East Offshore Wind is an important project to enhance renewable energy production and to improve climate change. This potential project will help to meet the needs of Ireland's Climate Action Plan, the National Development Plan and the Programme for Government. It will help to strengthen our energy security, reach renewable electricity goals and reduce our emissions.

Reduce Emissions

The Climate Action Plan 2021 states ‘Among the most important measures in the plan is to increase the proportion of renewable electricity to up to 80% by 2030, including an increased target of up to 5 Gigawatts of offshore wind energy. This will not just reduce our emissions from electricity, it will allow us to electrify other sectors such as transport and heat and reduce our emissions in these sectors too.’

Energy Security

The Climate Action Plan 2021 states ‘The transition to an energy efficient and fossil fuel free built environment will provide extensive social, economic and environmental benefits in the short- as well as long-term. This process will bring about reduced energy costs and more comfortable, healthier, safer, and less costly to heat and cool, homes enhancing our living standards, improving our air quality and helping to address energy poverty. It will also improve energy security and reduce Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels in addition to other significant co-benefits for the environment and socio-economic development.

Renewable Energy

The National Development Plan 2021-2030 states ‘meeting the ambitious goal of up to 80 per cent renewable electricity by 2030 and further future decarbonisation objectives will require development of significant [Offshore Renewable Energy] ORE and associated grid infrastructure over the coming decade.’

What is the Project?

Mainstream Renewable Power is working to develop an offshore wind farm to provide renewable energy. We are at the early feasibility stages of this potential project. Southeast Offshore Wind is a proposed project offshore to Counties Wexford and Waterford.

The Wexford Southeast Wind Foreshore Licence Application Area (referred to as ‘Wexford’ hereafter) covers an area of approximately 731.8 km2 (73170 Ha) and is located off the coast of County Wexford and County Waterford, Ireland. The Mainstream broader investigation area includes the Wexford Foreshore Licence Application Area and an area outside the 12 nautical mile (nm) limit. The total area of interest is 2,109km2.

An offshore wind farm is a collection of offshore wind turbines. These turbines harness renewable energy from wind and use this energy to power onshore facilities, such as homes and industries. Offshore wind farms provide a form of clean, reliable and renewable energy.

The design of the offshore wind farm will be carried out in stages, with opportunities for the public to participate in the decision-making at each stage. It is too early for us to give and exact location of turbines or the number/size of turbines as this will depend on final designs.

Components of an offshore wind farm

What's Happening Now?

Following an initial review we have defined an investigation area and we are looking at constraints within this area. Constraints can include visual landscape and environment, residential, commercial and marine developments, transport patterns and engineering constraints. The site investigation area is approximately 20 km – 40km from shore. This area will be investigated for its suitability for an offshore wind farm.

Site investigations and surveys outside the 12 nautical mile limit will be subject to a separate consenting process. The assessment in the application is based on the entire investigation areas inside and outside of 12 nautical miles for the purposes of a robust assessment. Details of future public consultation concerning the area outside the foreshore licence area will be posted on the website, www.southeastoffshorewind.ie and in the local press.

Why is a forshore license needed?

The foreshore of Ireland is classed as the land and seabed between the high tide mark and the twelve-mile limit (12 nautical miles equals approximately 22.24 kilometers). A foreshore licence is required to carry out surveying within part of the investigation area.

Mainstream has applied for a foreshore licence to carry out surveys on the nature of the seabed and to get up to date wind resource and metocean data amongst other things. These surveys will be carried out within the windfarm and cable corridor investigation areas only when a foreshore licence has been granted to determine the best place for turbines and other infrastructure. This public consultation provides you with an opportunity to give feedback on the investigation area and key constraints.

Environmental Information

Mainstream are currently carrying out aerial mammal and bird surveys over the site investigation area. If we are successful in obtaining a foreshore licence, we will then commence the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process to understand any impacts on the receiving environment and identify mitigation measures. This process will also involve extensive public consultation. For the surveys if granted a Foreshore licence, there will be no permanent structures established on the foreshore.

Temporary monitoring equipment may include floating lidar systems will be powered by solar panels, batteries and micro wind turbine generators, acoustic doppler current profiles will be on the sea floor and wave measuring devices floating on the sea surface with a simple mooring system. Marker buoys will be deployed alongside wave measuring devices to indicate their existence and to ensure other mariners are aware of their location.

The types of surveys that will be carried out include intertidal bird survey, boat-based surveys, fish and shellfish surveys amongst others.

The design of the survey will seek to avoid or reduce environmental effects and minimise inconvenience to all other users through careful design and good industry practice.
A Fisheries Liaison Officer (FLO) has been appointed to consult and will continue to talk with fishers ahead of and during surveys. Zoning for each survey will be implemented as a mitigation measure to allow fishers to return to fishing grounds as quickly as possible, and to reduce the risk of displacement of fishing activity into other areas.
Marine Notices will be issued to ensure marine users are aware of the proposed marine investigative surveys and in consultation with the port, the busiest periods can be avoided.
All proposed marine investigative surveys will comply with safety requirements

Supply Chain Benefits

Mainstream Renewable Power will bring opportunities for the local supply chain during development phases, construction phases and operation of the offshore wind farm.

If you are a contractor, supplier or a facilities and service provider that would like to be considered for supply chain opportunities, you can fill out the expression of interest form located on our website.

Who is Mainstream Renewable Power?

Established in Ireland in 2008, Mainstream Renewable Power has grown to be a world-leading renewable energy developer. Mainstream’s team, as part of its Airtricity heritage, developed Ireland’s first and only operational offshore wind farm at the Arklow Bank, Co. Wicklow. The Arklow Bank wind farm became operational in 2004 and was the world’s first erection of wind turbines rated over 3 MW.

Mainstream Renewable Power (“Mainstream”), with a global project portfolio of more than 29 GW, is a leading pure-play renewable energy company with a presence across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Employing over 700 people across five continents, Mainstream has raised more than EUR 3.0 billion in project finance to date.

In May 2021, Norway-based Aker Horizons acquired a majority stake in Mainstream and, in April 2022, Japan-based Mitsui & Co., Ltd. joined Aker Horizons as a long-term strategic investor. In addition to bringing forward industrial-scale onshore wind and solar projects around the world, we are advancing gigawatt-scale offshore wind projects in Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Norway, Ireland, the UK, the US, and Sweden. The company’s growth trajectory and offshore wind ambition accelerated in 2022 with the integration of Aker Offshore Wind, combining world-class development and industrialization capabilities through Aker group companies with Mainstream’s strong development and execution track record.

Further to our ambition in the floating wind market, the company holds preferential rights to bankable floating foundation technology through ownership in Principle Power. Mainstream is currently developing a net capacity of 1.3 GW of floating offshore wind in Scotland and South Korea and 1.23 GW of fixed bottom offshore wind in Vietnam.

How to make a Submission

We are asking for the public’s feedback on Mainstream’s application through our first public statutory consultation on our foreshore investigation licence application. This will inform the public of the application area and wider study area and provide an opportunity to give feedback on the application.

Members of the public who wish to make a submission or observation in writing concerning the proposed project may do so between 18th April 2023 and 18th May 2023 (quoting ref: FS007375) to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Foreshore Section, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Newtown Road, Wexford, Co. Wexford or foreshoreORE@housing.gov.ie.

The closing date for submissions is close of business (17.30) on 18th May 2023.

The application documents can be viewed free of charge online: ( gov.ie - FS007374 Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd - Site Investigations off Co. Wexford (www.gov.ie) ) and in hard copy at the following locations:

Tramore Garda Station, Off Market Street, Tramore, Co. Waterford.
Dunmore East Garda Station, Barrack Lane, Dunmore East, Co. Waterford.
Kilmore Quay Garda Station, The Beake, Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford.
Wexford Garda Station, Mulgannon, Wexford, Co. Wexford.
Wexford County Council, Planning Office, County Hall, Carricklawn, Wexford.
Waterford County Council, Planning Public Counter, 1st floor, Menapia Building, The Mall.
Wexford Town Library, Mallin St., Wexford.
Waterford City and County Libraries Central Library, Lady Lane, Waterford.

Contact Us

Some members of the Offshore Team you might meet;

Leo Quinn - Senior Offshore Development

Jane Hennessy - Stakeholder Engagement & Development Manager

Una Brosnan - Head of Offshore

email: offshoreIreland@mainstreamrp.com

telephone: 01 2902000

address: Ground Floor, Block G Central Park, Leopardstown, Dublin

Click here to book a meeting with a member of the team

South East Offshore Wind Virtual Public Exhibition