MRIA Discusses Maritime Infrastructure to Support Ocean Energy

Marine Renewables Industry Association (MRIA), an organization supporting the development of Irish marine renewables, has issued a discussion paper on maritime infrastructure development priorities to support Ireland’s future ocean energy industry. 

Ireland’s wave energy resource is off the west coast. It should be possible to support the development of the resource, at least at the southern end of the west coast, from Shannon Foynes and Cork. Beyond a certain level of deployment, the much smaller ports to the north of County Clare would struggle to cope with developments off Mayo – the most likely ocean energy location in the north-west – in particular.

The Paper analyses the issue, draws conclusions and makes recommendations about a challenge which must be tackled if ocean energy is to develop at scale from around 2030, a short time away in the notoriously long investment cycle times in energy and in maritime infrastructure.

The Marine Renewables Industry Association recommends, in summary, that:

  1. The State should actively identify and monitor innovative solutions to the possible need for early extra port capacity arising from ocean energy development off the west coast.
  2. The planned harbour developments at Doonbeg, County Clare should be supported to provide a Forward Operating Base for WestWave and other early projects.
  3. The provision of suitable vessels to support ocean energy should be left to the private market place where capable local companies would welcome new business opportunities. However, the Irish Maritime Development Office should actively monitor the situation and communicate any specific needs (e.g. incentives) to the Ocean Renewable Energy Steering Group.
  4. Steps should be taken as soon as possible to start planning at least minimum facilities to support ocean energy at a port location in Mayo. The Association is conscious of the need to avoid raising expectations and to avoid land speculation. It must be emphasised that this recommendation is made in a measured fashion and it is made only in light of the particularly long lead-time typically encountered in port developments. It represents a ‘hedge’ on future port needs.
  5. A review of ports policy, perhaps specifically in regard to the marine renewables industry, should take place no later than 2020. At that stage, issues such as market access for marine renewables electricity, and the likely pace of development of wave energy technology, should be a great deal clearer than at present while offshore wind developments may be in prospect off the west coast. This review should be a ‘whole of Government’ exercise, possibly conducted under the auspices of the recently established Ocean Renewable Energy Steering Group.

The full paper can be read here.

Source: Marine Renewables Industry Association; Image: Aquamarine Power (Illustration)