Offshore wind project leader urges policy makers to ‘keep Northern Ireland at the front of renewables race’

The company behind a Northern Ireland offshore energy project proposed for the Irish Sea has outlined areas in need of urgent attention if the deadline to generate 80% of our electricity zero carbon technologies by 2030 is to be achieved.

Niamh Kenny, director of North Channel Wind, which plans to install an array of floating wind turbines up to 15 miles from the east Antrim coast, told an audience of policy makers, economists and business leaders attending the Maritime UK events in Belfast, that the time for the development to go ahead is now. 

She explained: “We have the technology, the resources and the best possible natural conditions to generate low cost, emissions-free electricity for most of Northern Ireland’s households and businesses, but we need to see a greater sense of urgency at government level.

Niamh Kenny, director of North Channel Wind calls on NI Executive  for a greater sense of urgency at government level. Credit Darren Kidd

“Above all, we need The Crown Estate to commence a process to grant seabed rights for projects in Northern Ireland. This is a trigger event which is the ignition key to the project.”  

Fulfilling the ambition declared by the NI Executive would place the region among Europe’s top clean energy producers.  

Ms Kenny said among the seven priorities the NI Executive must resolve as soon as possible are the creation of a ministerial task force to focus on the acceleration of offshore wind in Northern Ireland; enabling NI to achieve the targets set within the Climate Act and the Carbon Budget and a re-focus on the critical path timeline within the Offshore Renewable Energy Action Plan (OREAP) to get a realistic schedule in place based on statutory timelines. 

North Channel Wind plans to install an array of floating wind turbines up to 15 miles from the east Antrim coast. Pictured is an artist's impression of how the Irish Sea floating wind turbine could look

“Developers of the North Channel Wind project, SBM Offshore, have confidence that the waters off Northern Ireland provide better conditions for a floating wind turbine array than anywhere else around the UK and Ireland, it is a real offshore wind sweet spot,” she explained. 

“Such a commitment by our investors is based on long experience in the energy field but this needs to be matched by the policy community. The other priorities are: a Contracts for Difference auction to be accelerated to 2026, with award in 2027 to facilitate FID for offshore projects by 2028; Consenting Guidelines for offshore wind; statutory time limits in place for all of the regulatory, consenting and licencing steps; and probably most keenly felt, a resourcing plan for key departments including DAERA, DFI and UREGNI to enable prompt processing of applications to meet statutory timelines.”

Benefits to Northern Ireland of offshore wind have been independently analysed by a Renewable NI report ( commissioned from BVG), and show that 1.5GW of offshore wind connected in Northern Ireland by 2032 would result in 49 million tonnes of carbon dioxide offset - the equivalent of 1.2million less cars on the road or 145,000 less flights from London to New York.

While from a supply chain perspective,  more than £1.9 billion spent with local suppliers over the life of the projects would equates to £2.4 billion of economic value to the region and add more than 32,000 full time jobs.

North Channel Wind has also embarked on an extensive stakeholder engagement process, including the fishing industry, coastal communities, environmental groups and other relevant stakeholders, which will continue and develop as the project progresses.